Sadiq Khan gets green light for ULEZ expansion as councils lose legal challenge | ITV News

Summary:

• London Mayor Sadiq Khan's plan to extend the city's ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ) has been ruled lawful.
• The expansion of ULEZ means more polluting vehicles will face a daily charge, aiming to reduce pollution and improve air quality.
• Protesters expressed unhappiness with the decision, and Tory-led councils' challenge to stop the ULEZ expansion was rejected.
• The policy has been controversial, and its impact on the cost of living and businesses has caused a split within the Labour Party.
• The issue of green policies has become a dividing line between political parties as the general election approaches.

Making green policies appeal has always been a challenge for politicians. But with the warnings about the state of our climate growing ever more severe, it's a task the government and Labour must confront at the next election. One though, which is undoubtedly made even harder during a cost of living crisis, just ask London's mayor.

London's Ultra-Low Emission Zone Expansion Ruled Lawful

Sadiq Khan's plan to extend the city's ultra-low emission zone was today ruled lawful. It expands the area in which people with more polluting vehicles face a daily charge. But that victory has not been without cost for his party. Many within Labour blame ULEZ for their defeat in the recent Uxbridge by-election. And it's meant both them and the Conservatives reconsidering how to address concerns about the climate without losing votes. It's a controversial policy to say the least, and protesters today were making it clear how unhappy they are as the courts rejected a challenge from five Tory-led councils to stop the expansion of London's ultra-low emission zone. We do not want ULEZ. It's an undemocratic imposition. More people will now have to pay £12.50 to drive non-compliant cars around London in an attempt to reduce pollution and improve air quality. It's already had a huge impact on handyman Kane Lever, who's decided with his family to move out of the city altogether.

With the general election looming, keeping voters on side will be key for Labour as they look to steer themselves towards Downing Street. The balancing act between green policies and the cost of living crisis will be a major issue in the upcoming election.