Ulez and the limit of Sadiq Khan’s power

That the Conservatives retained the west London seat of Uxbridge and South Ruislip, albeit by a whisker, has been put down to a single issue: the London Mayor’s plan to extend the ultra low emissions zone to the outer boroughs, to take effect at the end of next month. A legal challenge is currently in the works, with a ruling expected soon. 

The Mayor’s argument is that improving air quality for Londoners is a priority, and he was out there repeating his point with his usual verve within hours of Labour’s failure to win Thursday’s by-election. 

Whichever way the court rules, however, the extension of the Ulez is surely as much of a political issue as it is a legal, or even a health, issue. And while opposition to the enlarged zone has tended to focus on the cost – with drivers of ‘non-compliant’ vehicles being required to fork out £12.50 a day, and those drivers often being those least able to afford it – there is another argument against the extension that cap all the others.

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