Sadiq Khan begs for £110 MILLION to fund his latest eco-drive

Sadiq Khan has asked the Prime Minister to help fund his newest green initiative ahead of the planned ultra low emission zone (Ulez) expansion.

The Mayor of London is asking Rishi Sunak to match the £110million he has allocated for the capital’s scrappage scheme.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, Khan asked him to provide financial support for people with the most polluting vehicles who drive into the capital from places like Surrey and Kent.

Khan has urged Sunak to match the £110 million he has allocated for London’s scrappage scheme.
Dominic Lipinski

In order to boost air quality, Khan plans to expand the Ulez to cover all of London starting August 29. Non-compliant vehicles will be charged a daily fee of £12.50.

In a letter, the Mayor of London urged Sunak to “become a doer, rather than a delayer, when it comes to climate action”.

Khan said other areas have received Government funding for similar schemes, such as Greater Manchester (£120million), Bristol (£42million), Birmingham (£38million) and Bradford (£30million) – but London and the home counties “have not received even a penny of support”.

The mayor wrote: “I urge you to use some of the unexpected £30billion windfall in the public finances to not only match the funding allocated for scrappage in London, but to introduce a targeted scrappage scheme that provides help to those based in the home counties.”

He went on: “London, the South East and the East of England make net contributions to the Treasury every year, and Londoners pay £500million of vehicle excise yearly, which is then spent on maintaining roads in other parts of the country.

“For our regions to pay in so much and not be helped to reduce carbon emissions and make our air safer to breathe is unfair and doesn’t make sense.”

Khan wrote that London is “in the grip of a deadly public health crisis”, with toxic air “causing the premature deaths of an estimated 4,000 Londoners every year”.

He continued: “It is abundantly clear then that the cost of inaction is far too high and that further action is needed to safeguard public health and spare people unnecessary suffering.

Earlier in February, the Mayor of London refused to use any of his own windfall - £188 million higher than expected – to boost the scrappage scheme.
James Manning

“I’m simply not prepared to stand idly by while toxic fumes from highly polluting vehicles choke our communities and leave our children reaching for inhalers and gasping for air.

“That’s why I’ve chosen to expand the ultra low emission zone London-wide.”

Earlier in February, the Mayor of London refused to use any of his own windfall - £188million higher than expected – to boost the scrappage scheme.

He opted instead to use £130million of this money to help fund free school meals for London primary school children.