39; Photo: Paul Grover for The Telegraph.
A third candidate has entered the race for Tory mayor of London with a promise to reverse the Ulez expansion.
Nick Rogers, the Conservative transport spokesman at City Hall, said fighting to end an expansion that would «empty outer London» was a «huge motivator» in his decision to throw his hat into the ring.
He joins a member of the London Assembly Andrew Boff and Samuel Kasum, former councilor number 10, as the third Conservative candidate to go on record to face Sadiq Khan in the May 2024 elections.
Ulez will be a key battleground in the fight to be the Conservative candidate, with Mr Boff also promising to cancel the expansion while Mr Kasumu said he would give suburban London a referendum on whether to get out of the scheme or stay in it.
' London simply deserves better'
Announcing his candidacy in an interview with The Telegraph, Mr Rogers said: «I've been watching Sadiq Khan closely and I think London simply deserves better.»
“We have almost had seven years of his leadership, which is often distant, partisan and divisive. Seeks to avoid responsibility for problems, does not take responsibility.
As for Ulez, he said that an August plan to expand the £12.50 a day charge zone for vehicles that do not meet emission standards across all 32 London boroughs would have a «chilling effect on the full range of activities in the London suburbs» .
“If I become mayor and Ulez expands, I will cancel it. And if I became mayor, and this has not yet happened, I would cancel it. It's so easy,” he said.
ULEZ expansion plan in London
Mr Rogers said the High Court's decision earlier this month to grant a motion for judicial review of the expansion only strengthened the case for a rethink.
«At least until the court's hearing, Sadiq Khan should suspend everything what he is doing regarding the expansion of Ulez to avoid further waste of taxpayer money,” he said.
Mr Rogers said Mr Kasumu's referendum policy won't go far enough because London suburbs have already «made their views quite clear» on the issue, with a majority opposing the expansion in public consultation.
“Londoners, especially suburban Londoners, will expect the Conservative mayoral candidate to be strongly opposed to Ules expansion,” he said.
“The mayoral election, if I were the candidate, would to hold a referendum on expanding Ulez, because my policy will be to reverse [it].”
0202 London supports ULEZ
A «professional railway worker», Mr Rogers joined Transport for London after graduating in 2007 and spent 18 years working there. months as manager at Waterloo Station, a job in which «you've seen absolutely everything, and, of course, nothing surprises me after this role.»
He later moved to Network Rail, where he is still on duty in shifts as an emergency dispatcher, responding to accidents and emergencies.
His career in public transport also means he is a member of the TSSA union, though Mr Rogers said he does not support the recent strikes and «has never been on strike as a union member myself — I wouldn't.»
«The vast majority of union members are not interested in some of the more saber-rattling politicos that many top union leaders love to deal with,» he said.
«More Hot Fuzz than Hawaii Five-O»
He is also a former special constable, although he admitted that he was «more Hot Fuzz than Hawaii Five-O» and «once tripped over his helmet while getting out of the van to answer a yell.»
B Last month, Baroness Casey published a report on racism, misogyny and homophobia at the Met.
Mr Rogers, who is in a same-sex civil partnership, said he was «always welcomed.» in the Metropolitan».
But he said that if he was elected mayor, he would put in place a policy to have at least one special constable in every safer area who lives in the area to help rejoin forces with those they serve.
«London — city of the millennium.
If he wins this nomination, 37-year-old Rogers will become the youngest Tory candidate for Mayor of London. In his opinion, this difference will help the party to wrest control from Labor in the capital.
«London is a city of a thousand years,» he said. “It’s really hard for millennials in London right now… a lot of it is about housing.”
He said the party needs to start “talking to these millennials and for these Londoners.” and that he was «well-equipped for such conversations» as a member of that demographic.
He added that the Tories need to be «much more positive about housing.»
«We as a party need to see density not as an enemy or as something bad in itself, but as something that really makes vibrant communities thrive,» he said.
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