How the Ulez scheme in London has tested party politics over pollution

Sadiq Khan hopes opposition to the clean air scheme will have dissipated by next year’s London mayoral elections, says John Rentoul

London’s Ulez scheme expands on 29 August (PA Wire)

Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, was blamed by many in his own party for Labour’s failure to win Boris Johnson’s former seat of Uxbridge in the by-election this month. Danny Beales, the Labour candidate, and Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, both implied that it was Khan’s refusal to pause the extension of his clean-air policy to outer London boroughs that denied them a famous victory.

Khan said he was “listening” to people’s concerns about the scheme, but now that the High Court has rejected a challenge to the scheme, the mayor has made clear that the ultra-low emissions zone (Ulez) will be extended from the area bounded by the north and south circular roads to the whole of Greater London on 29 August as planned.

So will the Ulez extension definitely go ahead?