Sadiq Khan and Keir Starmer on collision course over Ulez

2023-07-24

Sadiq Khan and Keir Starmer on collision course over Ulez as London mayor vows to press on with expansion of his controversial ‘drivers’ tax’

Keir Starmer blamed ULEZ for failing to win the Uxbridge and South Ruislip seat
Allies of Sir Keir said the London Mayor has now promised to review the policy

Sadiq Khan has vowed to press on with an expansion of his controversial ‘drivers’ tax’ – setting him on a collision course with Keir Starmer.

The Mayor of London will look at ways to mitigate the financial impact of the £12.50 charge but will not relent in his mission to expand the ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) to the outskirts of the capital from next month.

After Labour failed to win last week’s by-election in Uxbridge and South Ruislip – where the extension of the charge was a major factor in the Tories successfully holding the seat – Sir Keir said there was ‘no doubt’ his party lost because of the expansion.

He demanded Mr Khan ‘reflect’ on the levy.

But sources close to the Mayor dismissed talk of a U-turn, saying last night: ‘Sadiq remains committed to implementing Ulez but is happy to look at any new ideas for ways to mitigate the impact on Londoners without reducing the effectiveness of the policy on tackling air quality and climate change.

‘Sadiq still believes expanding the Ulez is the right thing to do to save the lives of Londoners and tackle the climate crisis.’

The Mayor of London will look at ways to mitigate the financial impact of the £12.50 charge but will not relent in his mission to expand the ultra-low emission zone (Ulez)

Mr Khan has also dismissed any notion that Labour would have taken Boris Johnson’s old seat in west London had he not proposed the Ulez expansion.

He said: ‘I have lived in London my entire life [and] this seat has never been Labour since I’ve been alive, including in 1997 in the Tony Blair landslide’

Allies of Sir Keir said the Mayor has now promised to review the policy and possibly make significant amendments under pressure from party leadership. A senior Labour source told The Sunday Times: ‘It’s clear Sadiq is going to be reviewing it.’

Labour’s unsuccessful candidate Danny Beales, who pledged to fight Ulez expansion during the campaign, said: ‘You cannot tell working people you are laser-focused on the cost of living and then also penalise them, simply for driving their car to work.’

Sir Keir and the Mayor’s team are expected to hold ‘intensive discussions’ about the policy, which is still subject to a legal challenge from five councils, in the coming days.

Louie French, Tory MP for Bexley and Old Sidcup, said: ‘There’s lots of speculation that Labour will be forced to drop Ulez after a year of ignoring and insulting thousands of people with genuine concerns.

‘But Sadiq Khan has already wasted millions on it and TfL has no Plan B after he bankrupted them. What a complete mess. Khan must go!’

Sir Keir and the Mayor’s team are expected to hold ‘intensive discussions’ about the policy, which is still subject to a legal challenge from five councils, in the coming days

Sir Keir said there was ‘no doubt’ his party lost last week’s by-election in Uxbridge and South Ruislip because of the expansion of ULEZ

The row appeared to continue at Labour’s National Party Forum, which concluded last night.

In an apparent warning shot at the Mayor, Sir Keir told delegates this weekend: ‘That result in Uxbridge demonstrates there is never any reason to be complacent and never a reason to rest on our laurels. We are doing something very wrong if policies put forward by the Labour Party end up on each and every Tory leaflet.

‘We’ve got to face up to that and learn the lessons.’

A senior Labour party insider added: ‘There is no way Ulez [expansion] is going to survive, even if we had won Uxbridge.

‘Sadiq just isn’t listening on Ulez and we’ve paid the price for that. Natural Labour voters are unable to vote for us because of it. We have been telling [City Hall] for ages they need to ditch it.’