Boris Johnson Tweets video criticising ‘mad’ ULEZ expansion plans

Boris Johnson, the MP for Uxbridge & South Ruislip, has published a one and a half minute video on Twitter in which he adds his support to Hillingdon Council’s objection to the ULEZ expansion.

Under the title Stop Sadiq Khan’s mad ULEZ expansion plan he says: ‘It will hit hardworking families and businesses in outer London with an unfair tax grab. That’s why I’m supporting @hillingdon council in their fight against it.’ Within two hours of being posted, the video had been retweeted over 700 times and had over 3,000 likes.

In the video he reminds people of his achievements in cleaning up London air and goes on to say: ‘You don’t need an all-London emissions zone, it’s inner London that has the air quality problem… By 2030 all new cars in this country are going to be cleaner and greener anyway.

‘There’s only one reason why [Sadiq Khan] is doing it and that is because he has bankrupted TfL by his mismanagement of the finances of London and he wants to rake in money from motorists in outer London and beyond.’

Critics of his stance were quick to respond. Geraint Davies MP for Swansea West and chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Air Pollution replied: ‘Around 155 people die every year in Hillingdon because of the toxic air. You’re happy with that are you, As Mayor you could have saved thousands of lives but failed to act.’

Colin Walker, Transport Lead at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit added: ‘a reminder then, even if high projections for EV sales are met, there will still be 23 million petrol and diesel cars on the UK’s roads in 2030 – 65% of the overall total. Lots of potential for air pollution will remain.’

Yesterday we reported on the fact that many of the boroughs objecting to the expansion of the ULEZ are lagging behind tin the installation of EV charging points.

Image: (c) Transport for London