Uxbridge by-election: Ulez expansion blamed for Labour loss

The Conservatives person narrowly held disconnected Labour successful Boris Johnson's erstwhile constituency, with the by-election nonaccomplishment being blamed connected the enlargement of a taxation connected polluting vehicles.

The Tories bushed Labour successful Uxbridge and South Ruislip by conscionable 495 votes.

Both parties suggested plans by Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan's to grow London's Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) played a portion successful the defeat.

He plans to marque the clean-air portion 3 times bigger from 29 August.

Mr Khan has said widening the strategy volition amended London's aerial quality, but it has proved hugely contentious successful outer London boroughs, including Uxbridge and South Ruislip.

Labour's campaigner successful the constituency, Danny Beales, had said helium wanted the enlargement halted owed to the cost-of-living crisis.

In his triumph speech, caller Tory MP Steve Tuckwell said Mr Khan had outgo Labour the seat. Mr Tuckwell opposes the expansion, which helium says volition enactment an further fiscal load connected residents.

"It was his damaging and costly Ulez argumentation that mislaid them this election," helium said.

"This wasn't the run Labour expected and Keir Starmer and his politician Sadiq Khan request to beryllium up and perceive to the Uxbridge and South Ruislip residents."

Labour's lawman person Angela Rayner said the Uxbridge effect was related to Ulez and showed that "when you don't perceive to voters you don't triumph elections".

"There is simply a interest that we person to marque definite that immoderate is implemented is not astatine the outgo of moving families," she told BBC Breakfast.

Ms Rayner added that cities needed cleanable aerial but radical who had to regenerate polluting vehicles besides needed "proper compensation and enactment from the government".

Asked whether she would beryllium urging Mr Khan to driblet the argumentation she said the enactment would beryllium "getting circular the table" and would proceed to enactment with the London politician "to get a decent scrappage scheme".

The Ulez was introduced successful cardinal London successful 2019, expanding a erstwhile low-emission portion for larger vehicles similar buses, lorries and coaches that was archetypal introduced successful 2008.

Under Mr Khan, it was extended to screen the country wrong the North and South Circular roads successful 2021.

Under the London mayor's projected caller expansion, its outer borders would scope Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent and Surrey.

Drivers indispensable wage £12.50 per time if they thrust a conveyance which doesn't conscionable modern emanation standards: generally, diesel vehicles that are much than 7 years old, oregon petrol vehicles that are much than 17 years old. If they bash not wage they look a maximum £180 fine.

Sir Keir Starmer has refused to instrumentality a broadside successful the quality implicit whether to grow Ulez.

In a BBC interrogation earlier this month, the Labour person declined to accidental which presumption helium backed.

He added that Mr Khan was trying to fulfil his ineligible obligations to trim emissions, whilst Mr Beales was trying to combat for imaginable constituents.

"Both of those things person to beryllium accommodated," helium said.

Despite disappointment successful failing to instrumentality the outer London constituency, Labour made past by overturning its biggest bulk astatine a by-election since 1945 successful Selby and Ainsty.

The Liberal Democrats won the Somerton and Frome by-election by much than 11,000 votes.