Jacob Rees-Mogg pushes Tories to drop zero net income plans

The Tories barely held Uxbridge and South Ruislip amid the uprising against Ulez. politics to help them win the next election.

The party narrowly held Uxbridge and South Ruislip in Thursday's by-election amid an uprising against plans by Sadiq Khan, the Labor mayor of London, to expand his controversial Ultra-Low Emissions (Ulez) scheme.

Mr Khan's policy requires old, more polluting vehicles £12.50 a day to travel through the capital, and the winning canned candidate Steve Tuckwell talks to activists about the backlash against Ula. ez «lost to Labor in this election.»

Conservative candidate Steve Tuckwell told activists that the backlash against Ulez had «lost to Labor in this election»; Photo: Jordan Pettit/Pennsylvania.

Sir Jacob, the former business secretary, highlighted the low voter turnout in all three by-elections last week and suggested Rishi Sunak soften his green agenda to keep Conservatives from staying at home.

He told the Camille Tomini Shaw: «I think Uxbridge is really interesting and important because if we get rid of things like Ulez that have popped up all over the country and we show that we're on the side of the British voter — we stop burdening them with extra fees, extra rules, extra interference in their lives — then I think there's a real chance.»

“By-elections don't necessarily indicate what will happen in a general election, they give governments a chance to think about what they are doing and what works and what doesn't. What works is getting rid of unpopular and expensive green policies.

Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg called on the Tories to roll back their clean zero policy. , Sir Jacob said he would drop his commitment to ban gasoline and diesel cars by 2030 and rewrite the energy law to remove planned emissions caps for homeowners.

In response, Planning Minister Lee Rowley appeared to double down on the planned ban for 2030, telling GB News: «We have a goal, let's all try our best to reach it.»

Other high-profile the Conservatives also urged Mr Sunak to rethink key clean-zero pledges in the wake of Uxbridge's unlikely victory.

Michael Gove, the housing secretary, suggested the prime minister «soften the pace» of new laws that would prevent landlords from renting out their homes unless they pay for measures including insulation and heat pumps.