Sadiq Khan has often been a debated figure for London residents, London Mayors having a history of making large decisions for the city whilst also wading into party politics where they don't belong.
Khan's latest furore is over a plan to effectively extend the ULEZ zone to the edges of the London boroughs. This has caused a massive uproar as the scheme will come into effect this August and will charge owners of affected vehicles £12.50 per day. However, the scheme is based on the types and age of the vehicle, not on the emission test results taken from MOT's meaning that large numbers of low emmission vehicles will fall foul of the rules whilst some higher emmission ones will have exemption due to the way they're classified.
To promote the scheme a scrappage scheme is being implemented of £2,000 toward replacing your vehicle. However, given the costs of replacing cars, small businesses being affected, haulage drivers who live in the heavily residential regions - many are looking at having been suddenly threatened to find £10,000-£180,000 to replace their vehicles or be fined every single day simply for living where they do. Khan has also implemented the scrappage scheme without properly budgeting for it and has approached Rishi Sunak to request £110m to help to fund it.
Khan has implemented the zone extension without carrying out consultations and has rebuked criticism by saying that anyone who objects is akin to those who opposed banning smoking indoors.
Tories object to the extension citing the lack of consultation as an issue and that Khan won't fund the scrappage scheme using the £188m tax windfall London received this year that is instead being used to fund school meals to all children in London un-means tested for a limited 12 month window. They also want the scheme to be delayed two years so that Khan has to campaign to the public for re-election under it, reverse Khan's £40 council tax rise and divert money to funding zero emission buses instead.
Last time we discussed whether Labour had done enough to vote for them in the face of the Tory implosion we've suffered the last few years.
This time we're inverting that question for the specific scenario that London presents when considering schemes like the above and the other decisions Khan has made compared to that of his Tory predecessors.
Given Labour looks likely to take back Government in 2024, should they retain London or is it the one key location where the Tories might actually be better off in charge of?
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