Uxbridge by-election: residents call Sadiq Khan’s ULEZ ‘life-destroying’ before vote to replace Boris Johnson

Uxbridge residents have slammed Sadiq Khan’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) as “life-destroying” ahead of the constituency’s by-election this Thursday (20 July).

Voters will in the next few days be heading to the polls to choose a replacement for Boris Johnson, who previously held the seat in Uxbridge and South Ruislip, after a damning report on his handling of the Partygate scandal prompted his immediate resignation as MP.

However, while most residents who spoke to NationalWorld agreed that it was time for the former Prime Minister to leave politics behind, he was not the main talking point as the by-election fast approaches.

Instead, the topic on the tip of most people’s tongue was ULEZ - a scheme which charges heavily polluting vehicles to drive on roads in London - and the prospect of its imminent expansion into the capital’s outer areas. Hillingdon, where the Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency is situated, is one of the boroughs which will be affected by the expansion due to take place on 29 August.

Discussing this, Chloe Chapman, 31, told NationalWorld that the expansion will “destroy lives”. She explained: “ULEZ has already destroyed things for me and my partner, as we’ve just had a baby and so can’t afford to buy a new car which is compliant. My parents have had to stop driving too, as their car doesn’t meet the rules and they can’t afford to get another one either. I mean, who can at the moment?”

The new mother added that she would vote for whichever candidate is looking to “get rid of” the scheme, before warning that there would be “a huge backlash” in Uxbridge - with people possibly “tearing cameras down” - if the expansion goes ahead as planned this August.

Chris Burn, 75, echoed Ms Chapman’s thoughts on ULEZ - describing it as “the biggest load of nonsense going”. He too said he cannot afford a new, compliant car, but also cannot afford the £12.50 daily charge and so is in an “impossible” situation.

Meanwhile, Steven Smith, 63, who works as a taxi driver, claimed the scheme had been “disastrous” for London. “It’s not even making anything better - it’s pushing more cars to use the same, main roads which is causing more congestion and more pollution,” he told NationalWorld. “It’s all just for money in my opinion.”

Arthur Hayes, 27, felt less strongly because his car meets the standards - meaning he is not personally affected. “But I know a lot of people who are,” he added, “and I’m sure it will be the main issue people consider when voting in the by-election.”

Interestingly though, while it is usually very challenging to find something Labour and the Tories agree on, when it comes to ULEZ, the parties’ candidates in Uxbridge have a similar opinion. Steve Tuckwell, for the Conservative Party, previously told the Evening Standard that in his five years as a councillor, he has “never come across a single issue that’s generated so much anger, frustration, and annoyance as Sadiq Khan’s expansion of the ULEZ".

“It’s £4,500 a year, that’s the impact it’s going to have on families,” he continued. “Just up the road you’ve got where Dick Turpin used to be active. We’ve got highway robbery past and present. The ULEZ expansion is modern day highway robbery for the residents of Uxbridge and South Ruislip.”

But while ULEZ was introduced by Labour’s London Mayor Sadiq Khan, there appears to be some division within the party - as Danny Beales, the candidate for the Uxbridge by-election, has also voiced his opposition to the scheme. Speaking at a hustings event earlier this month, he said it was “not the right time” to expand the scheme into the borough of Hillingdon.

“I think when you speak to families,” he said, “I hear heart-wrenching stories at the moment: carers who have to travel to work and can’t afford to pay for their car and may have to give up their job or they can’t afford to scrap their car with the scrappage scheme available.

“Of course we want clean air, of course we all do. But to do it now, when mortgages are going up £500, £600, £700 a month because the Tories have crashed the economy, when fuel bills and food bills have gone up exponentially... It’s not the right time.”

This stance will likely prove helpful for Labour, as Tory Party candidate Tuckwell will also be battling against low public opinion of the current government in his attempts to become the constituency’s next MP. Mr Burn, for instance, also told NationalWorld that he believes current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is the “worst man for the job” the country has ever had.

“He doesn’t care about any of us,” the 75-year-old continued. “Why would he? He’s got millions of pounds. He doesn’t understand. He doesn’t care about the country. He needs to go.”

But Beales will still have to hit the campaign trail, as many other residents told NationalWorld they did not plan on voting at all because they felt that neither of the main political parties “represented” them. Linda Cayless, 75, said: “I have absolutely no faith in Rishi Sunak or the Conservative Party. But I also definitely won’t be voting for Labour.”

Meanwhile, Mr Smith said he has “given up” and refuses to vote anymore as “no one wants to help” - while others were unclear on what each party was standing for and how it would affect them on a local level. For those residents, it seems the main point Tuckwell and Beales need to get across is their opposition to ULEZ, as this was the issue which came up time and time again for those in Uxbridge.