Starmer Defends ULEZ Expansion, Says Mayor Has ‘No Choice’

Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer takes part in Call Keir, his regular phone-in on LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast show, at the Global Studios, London, on July 7, 2023. Stefan Rousseau/PA Media

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has defended Sadiq Khan’s plan to expand the ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ) around the capital, just a day after he refused to say whether he backed the London mayor’s controversial proposal.

The plan has faced mounting public opposition, and is facing legal challenge from five Conservative-led local councils.

Some Labour politicians, including the party’s candidate in this month’s Uxbridge by-election—Danny Beales—also want the expansion halted.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan poses during the "Let's Do London" U.S. tourism campaign launch in Times Square, New York, on May 9, 2022. Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

Addressing a listener question on LBC radio on Friday, Starmer said the Labour mayor “had to take action” due to the legal requirement on him to improve London’s air quality.

“I accept that the mayor has no choice but to go ahead because of the legal obligation on him,” said the Labour leader.

It comes just a day after the Labour leader refused to take a side over the contentious issue, saying Beales was “right” to raise concerns on behalf of his would-be constituents and that differing views need to be “accommodated.”

Contentious Plan

The ULEZ is an area in which vehicles that do not meet certain emissions standards must pay a daily charge of £12.50 ($15) to drive or face fines. The scheme currently operates in the areas within London’s North and South Circular roads, covering four million people—around 44 percent of the capital’s population.

In November 2022, Transport for London (TfL) announced that it will push on with proposals to expand the scheme to the whole of Greater London from Aug. 29, 2023, forcing more than 200,000 motorists to pay the daily charge.

In May, a report, commissioned by Fair Fuel UK and written by economic consultancy CEBR, warned ULEZ would have a “significantly” negative impact on the city’s economy.

According to a recent poll, nearly a quarter of London tradesmen say the mayor of London’s air pollution-cutting scheme that charges motorists by the day to drive has had a detrimental impact on business.

Conservative-led councils challenged Khan’s move in a hearing at the High Court this week and are waiting on Justice Swift’s ruling.

There have been calls from Labour MPs, such as Clive Efford and Jon Cruddas, to delay the expansion and improve its associated scrappage scheme.

Among the party figures to speak out is Beales, who is contesting former Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s old seat of Uxbridge and South Ruislip in a by-election on July 20.

The Labour candidate reportedly told a recent hustings it was “not the right time” for the charge to be applied more widely.

‘Right’ to Oppose Expansion

During a visit to a school in Gillingham on Thursday, Starmer was asked if Beales was right to raise concerns over the ULEZ expansion.

The Labour leader replied: “Danny Beales is our candidate in Uxbridge, a very good candidate too, and he is rightly raising concern on behalf of what he hopes will be his constituents in relation to ULEZ because we all understand the impact it has financially.”

Starmer said “there is a legal requirement to deal with air pollution” and the first ULEZ was introduced by Tory mayor Boris Johnson.

“But Danny Beales is right to say what he has said in sticking up for what he hopes will be his constituents,” he added.

Talking to LBC on Friday, Starmer reiterated that it was “right” for the Uxbridge candidate to “stand up” for his potential constituents, but argued Khan has been left with no “wriggle room” on the issue.

The opposition leader said he recognised that the move would cause “pain” and it would be “a lot of money” for motorists to have to pay during the current cost-of-living crisis.

But he said it was “important to make clear” that there was a “legal obligation on the mayor to take measures” in relation to air pollution.

“So he doesn’t just have a free choice to decide what he does here. He has got to take action,” Starmer.

Owen Evans and PA Media contributed to this report.