LABOUR erupted into open civil war over Ultra-Low Emission Zones yesterday — with Sir Keir Starmer blaming Sadiq Khan’s hated levy on drivers for their Uxbridge by-election flop.
In an astonishing broadside, the Labour leader tore into his party colleague over the controversial policy, fearing it made them come across as eco-zealots.
Sir Keir Starmer says Labour’s hated ULEZ policy was a gift for the Tories in the Uxbridge by-election
Starmer tore into his party colleague over the controversial policy
Sir Keir told Labour’s National Policy Forum in Nottingham: “That result in Uxbridge demonstrates there is never any reason to be complacent and never a reason to rest on our laurels.
“It is a reminder that in an election, policy matters.
“We are doing something very wrong if policies put forward by the Labour Party end up on each and every Tory leaflet.
“We’ve got to face up to that and to learn the lesson.”
Danny Beales, the Labour candidate who was defeated in Uxbridge, also tore into the ULEZ policy for killing his by-election dream.
He said: “Our relentless focus on the cost of living hammering voters across the country should have been enough to win my home seat.
“But it wasn’t. Because, let me be frank, a single policy cut us off at the knees. This isn’t complicated.
“You cannot tell working people you are laser-focused on the cost of living, on the difficulties facing them, on making life easier and then also penalise them, simply for driving their car to work.
“ULEZ is a bad policy. It must be rethought.”
He added: “There were people in Uxbridge desperate for change, sick of the Tories, complimentary about our changed party, about our leadership, about our plans.
“But a single policy — one that felt like a grotesque unfairness to many who might otherwise have voted for us — acted as a dead-weight, one that we were forced to trudge around with on our backs, all day, every day, from one door to another.”
Mr Khan has insisted he is listening to Londoners over their ULEZ revolt.
Shadow Cabinet ministers have privately warned that Labour must not back any eco-policy that undermines the fight to ease the cost of living crisis.
One Labour MP said Sir Keir must ditch the “anti-car cult”, adding: “This should be a wake-up call for Labour.”
Sadiq Khan’s ULEZ policy has been directly blamed for Labour failing to win the Uxbridge by-election
