Sir Keir Starmer stated in January that he supported the expansion of Sadiq Khan at Ulez in London. Photo: Paul Grover for The Telegraph
Labour will support the deployment of clean air zones like London's Ultra Low Emissions Zone (Ulez) if elected next year, new plans being considered by the party have revealed.
An internal Labor document showed that one of the main transport policies under consideration, which could be part of next year's manifesto, was support for the principle of clean air zones in cities.
The plan said they would be supported. only «if they are phased in» and accompanied by a «just transition» plan.
The details were revealed in an 86-page draft policy manual that was leaked to the Labor list last week. and reveals a number of transport policies being considered by the party.
Clean Air Zones have emerged in a number of Labor-led councils across the country, including in Birmingham, Bristol and Bradford, with fees charged for non-compliant vehicles to travel in certain zones.
In most cases, the Well Known Clean Air Zone is in London, where Sadiq Khan, the mayor of the capital, is set to expand Ulez from August to cover all 32 London boroughs.
Drivers in London must pay £12.50 if they drive a diesel car over seven years old or 17 years old if it runs on petrol.
London's ULEZ expansion plan
The expansion was met with widespread criticism from residents and politicians : In July, five Conservative-led councils will try to stop the deployment in the High Court.
Conservative MPs criticized the inclusion of this policy in the draft document and called on Labor to abandon this position.
Greg Hands, MP for Chelsea and Fulham, said: “Ulez Khan's cash expansion is extremely unpopular here in London. Labor must stop these unpopular actions against the hard-working residents of our big cities.»
Craig McKinley, chairman of the Fair Fuel for UK Motorists and UK Hauliers all-party parliamentary group, warned that Khan's «war on motorists» would be repeated across throughout the country if Sir Keir Starmer comes out to Downing Street.
“Sadiq Khan has paved the way for new taxes on motorists, is choking on business, disrupting the lives of normal people, especially the underpaid,” he told The Telegraph.
“This is just a foretaste of what will happen to cities across the UK because of the so-called clean air zones, but in reality it will be new taxes in disguise.»
Howard Cox, founder of the FairFuelUK campaign group and Reform UK's candidate for Mayor of London, said: «It is now clear that the Labor vote means new banning rules are being introduced in the UK.
«Their misconception that that the car should be demonized, but at the same time an ideal channel for increasing tax revenue, is nothing but sickening and duplicitous.
“Starmer, along with Sadiq Khan, does not keep in touch with voters, drivers low-income and small businesses who have been hardest hit by their draconian Ulez, low-traffic areas, and 20-mile zones.”
Mr Cox questioned the health data used to justify the implementation of what he called «grossly immoral» policies.
A Labor Party source stressed that the contents of the document were not agreed upon policies but merely ideas , which will be considered at the meetings of the national executive committee at the end of this year.
He also added that reducing nitrogen dioxide emissions is also part of government policy.
Supplying HS2 and Northern Powerhouse
In January, Sir Keir told LBC Radio that he supported Mr Khan's expansion of Ulez, calling it «a difficult decision to make.»
He doubled down on that sentiment last week, telling the LBC that the expansion is needed to fight lung cancer.
Clean Air Zones vary across the country, with some of them covering all vehicles , while others only apply to certain commercial vehicles.
For example, Sheffield charges trucks £50 a day to drive through the city centre, while taxis and small commercial vehicles charge £10 a day. In Birmingham, all cars must pay £8 per day.
Other key transport policies considered included a promise to fully deliver both HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail, and a plan to deliver each rail link. into state ownership as contracts with a private railway operator expire.
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