“ULEZ is about improving air quality. Air pollution is either responsible for, or a major contributory factor to, over 4000 deaths annually in Greater London alone.”
By Peter Kenyon
Labour’s Danny Beales, in the Uxbridge & South Ruislip by-election, paid the price for siding with Tories and opposing the Mayor of London’s plan to extend the Ultra-Low Emission Zone.
In the light of Labour leader Keir Starmer’s less than full support for the Mayor’s plan, it is vital that BLPs and CLPs show they are fully behind Sadiq Khan and his campaign for re-election as London Mayor in 2024. As Sadiq has stated repeatedly the ULEZ is about improving air quality. Air pollution is either responsible for, or a major contributory factor to, over 4000 deaths annually in Greater London alone.
Petrol vehicles registered before 2006 and diesel vehicles registered before 2015 are the heaviest polluters, as a result of which there was an EU wide change in the maximum permitted emissions in 2005 and 2014 respectively.
Mayor Khan’s introduction of ULEZs in, first, Central London in 2019 and, then Inner London in 2021 has led to reductions in air pollution from road transport of 29% and 19% respectively.
Children and the elderly, especially, are vulnerable to air pollution with the tragic death of 9-year-old Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah in 2013 being a sad example. Sadiq’s response to Ella’s death was a clear and welcome indication of the need to clean up London’s air.
We hope that by supporting a model resolution that is being circulated by London Labour Left (in full below) on ULEZs, members will be sending a clear signal to our Party Leader that his decision to blame the Mayor for Labour’s defeat in Uxbridge was a mistake.
Now that the High Court has ruled in Sadiq’s favour re extending the London ULEZ, Keir Starmer should:
- publicly support Mayor Khan in both the extension of the ULEZ throughout Greater London and his re-election in 2024
- publicly support those other Labour Mayors, along with Labour Local Authorities wanting to put children’s, in particular, health ahead of contrary vested interests
- request that HM Treasury makes funding available to enable Mayor Khan and those other Mayors and Local Authorities to enhance scrappage schemes
- include the extension of ULEZs throughout England, as well as the restoration and enhancement of public transport in the Party’s general election manifesto.
Motion: Defend London Labour’s ULEZ Policy
This Constituency Labour Party:
Regrets the failure of Labour’s candidate, Danny Beales, to win the Uxbridge & South Ruislip by-election. Understands that:
- In Greater London, air pollution is either responsible for, or a major contributory factor, to over 4000 deaths annually; is contributed to by pollution emitting activities of which road transport accounts for 56.2% of the total emissions;
- Petrol vehicles (registered before 2006) and diesel vehicles (before 2015) are the heaviest polluters;
- Mayor Khan’s introduction of ULEZs in Central London in 2019 and, Inner London in 2021 has led to reductions in air pollution from road transport of 29% and 19% respectively.
Notes that:
- Children and the elderly, especially, are vulnerable to air pollution with the tragic death of 9-year-old Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah in 2013 being a sad example;
- Mayor Sadiq Khan has been leading on cleaning up London’s air.
- Statements by Labour’s Leader in the run up to the by-election helped the Conservative Party focus opposition on to the extension of the ULEZ.
We call upon the Party leadership to:
- Publicly commit to supporting Mayor Khan in the extension of the ULEZ throughout Greater London;
- To call for the Treasury to make funding available to enable the GLA to enhance the scrappage scheme.
