Both Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer have been urged to uphold their parties’ green pledges after a Cabinet minister voiced concerns that certain environmental reforms targeting landlords were being implemented too hastily.
The expansion of the ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) by London mayor Sadiq Khan has been attributed to Labour’s failure to secure Boris Johnson’s former seat of Uxbridge and South Ruislip, with the Conservatives narrowly retaining it by 495 votes.
Khan plans next month to widen the £12.50 daily charge for vehicles which fail to meet emissions standards to all London boroughs, taking it beyond the capital’s north and south circular roads.
Starmer has previously pledged to stand by the green commitments of his party but acknowledged the need for reflection and learning from the implementation process.
Housing Secretary Michael Gove has expressed his desire to extend the deadline for landlords in the private rented sector to make energy efficiency improvements to their properties. He believes the proposal to force landlords to improve their properties’ energy performance certificate ratings before renting them out should be postponed beyond 2028. The required upgrades, such as fitting heat pumps, insulation, or installing solar panels, could be costly for landlords.
Gove also cautioned against turning environmental issues into a religious crusade and advocated for thoughtful environmentalism.
With the Uxbridge election results being one of the few positive outcomes in recent by-elections, there is mounting pressure on the Prime Minister to reconsider and potentially soften pledges aimed at achieving the UK’s net-zero carbon economy goal by 2050.
Conservative MP Craig Mackinlay, who chairs the Net Zero Scrutiny Group, proposed delaying the new petrol and diesel car ban by at least five years until 2035. Prominent environmentally-minded Tories such as Chris Skidmore MP, have called on both their party and Labour not to abandon green policies for short-term electoral gains.
Despite the Labour Party’s success in the Selby and Ainsty by-election, they fell short in Uxbridge, prompting a deeper examination of the reasons behind the loss.
Khan’s Ulez policy has been a subject of scrutiny, with some of Sir Keir Starmer’s advisers predicting it could be a vote loser. Khan is now exploring options to mitigate its impact without compromising its effectiveness, and he has engaged in discussions with Sir Keir about the matter.
Khan’s team defended his plan, saying only one out of 10 cars driving in outer London would face the charge, with a £110 million scrappage scheme available to help lower earners to upgrade their vehicles.
