Fury as Sadiq Khan’s ULEZ plans are given green light despite drivers fuming over new charges – what it means for you
SADIQ Khan sparked fury today as he confirmed the hated Ulez expansion WILL go ahead.
Five Tory-led councils in Greater London challenged the unpopular scheme in the High Court, but judges sided with the Mayor.
Despite mounting pressure from his own party to halt the expansion, Mr Khan confirmed it will definitely go ahead.
This afternoon Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting told Times Radio that he, Sir Keir Starmer and Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves would rather Ulez didn't go ahead right now.
The outer London MP said: "I think Keir has been very clear that he doesn't want it to go ahead at this stage, as has Rachel Reeves. I would agree with them. But Sadiq is the Mayor of London.
"He doesn't answer to us, he answers to Londoners. If you believe in devolution, you believe in his right to do that. We're going to have to take it on the chin.
"And he's going to take the criticism on the chin and we'll see what happens."
Mr Khan said: "The decision to expand the Ulez was very difficult and not something I took lightly and I continue to do everything possible to address any concerns Londoners may have.
"The Ulez has already reduced toxic nitrogen dioxide air pollution by nearly half in central London and a fifth in inner London.
"The coming expansion will see five million more Londoners being able to breathe cleaner air."
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Tory mayoral candidate Susan Hall hit back at Mr Khan, slamming the expansion as "devastating" to hard-up households battling the cost of living crisis.
She said: "While it is a shame the High Court did not find the Ulez expansion to be unlawful, there is no denying that Sadiq Khan's plans will have a devastating impact on families and businesses across the city.
"If I am elected Mayor, I will stop the Ulez expansion on day one and set up a £50m pollution hotspots fund to tackle the issue where it is, instead of taxing people where it isn't."
Louie French, the Tory MP for Bexley and Sidcup, described the news as "disappointing".
He said: "It's important to remember that the court case was mainly about the process to expand Ulez, not the policy itself.
"The public consultation and Uxbridge shows that outer London is firmly against this tax and we will continue to fight the Mayor."
The Ulez expansion will start on August 29th and will
Drivers will be whacked with a £12.50 daily charge if their vehicle doesn't meet green standards.
ULEZ: What you need to know
The Ultra Low Emission Zone or ULEZ initially covered the Congestion Charge zone in central London, from the eastern edge of Hyde Park out to around Aldgate.
From August 29th it will cover the entirety of Greater London.
Unlike the Congestion Charge, the ULEZ operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 364 days a year - excluding Christmas Day on December 25.
Older vehicles, including motorbikes, that don’t meet the tighter emissions standards have to pay £12.50 every day they are used within the ULEZ.
The charge runs from midnight to midnight which means you will be charged for two days if your journey started before midnight and travels into the next day.
As a rule of thumb, the vehicles affected include pre-2015 diesels and pre-2006 petrol cars - but you can
A £110 million has been set up to help small businesses, charities and households in receipt of child benefit or universal credit get rid of non-compliant vehicles.
A £110 million scrappage scheme has been set up to help small businesses, charities and households in receipt of child benefit or universal credit get rid of non-compliant vehicles.
But motorists have complained that the £2,000 on offer doesn't come anywhere close to the cost of replacing their cars.
The Mayor is still under pressure from his own party to rethink the scheme.
Its unpopularity was credited with helping the Tories cling to power at the Uxbridge and South Ruislip by-election this month.
Steve Tuckwell, the newly elected MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip, said: “Uxbridge and South Ruislip sent Mayor Sadiq Khan a clear message last week – halt your ULEZ expansion.
“Londoners cannot go on being ignored by the Labour Party.
"Working with our candidate for Mayor of London, Susan Hall, I'm telling Sadiq Khan, scrap your ULEZ expansion, or Londoners will show him the door next year.”
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Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves is the latest top Labour MP to call for the expansion to be dropped.
She exclusively told The Sun: “With the cost of living, it doesn’t feel like the right time to clobber people with extra charges."