Did Uxbridge just vote for Climate Change?

[Tatami]

By 495 votes? The reason for the narrow Tory win appears to be down to a campaign against the Ultra Low Emmission Zone. Cleaner air, doing something positive about Climate Change, helped by access to the best Public transport network in the country? Nah, more of the same please; dirty air and dirty politics. FFS Uxbridge.

Ulez is a money making scheme...nothing to do with clean air. It's also not appropriate for outer London which is virtually rural in some places with very few public transport options. If you check the pollution indicator every day you'll see outer London does not have a problem. Ulez will ruin lives and businesses.

It will also make no difference anyway or such a marignal difference it's not worth it. It's based on junk science.

The ULEZ is deeply unpopular. It also penalises the poorer the most.

I think we need to look at it another way. Last time this seat was up for election the Tory party won it with a majority of 7000 votes. This time it was only 500 votes.

What's more, the seat has only been Labour twice in its entire history, and not even during Blair's 1997 win.

ULEZ probably played a role, but I don't think the Tories can take much positivity from this "win". People vote differently in by-elections with local issues taking more of a front seat.

There are just too many people who will only vote Tory.

No one can have a discussion about climate change at the moment it turns into a bun fight. If you try pointing out that migration and food prices are all part of this you get told it's just an opinion, that science is nonsense.

So yes I can see easily why always a Tory stating a Tory because facts really don't matter, it seems, anymore.

A few weeks after its introduction it will not be much of an election issue as the vast majority of people are not affected either because their car meets the standard or they don't have one.

I don't see it in any way as denying or opposing climate change. It's more about air quality in any case.

"Money making scheme" - yes, the money is being put in to improve the public transport system.
EVERYWHERE has an air pollution problem. The entire country. Pollution is everywhere.

But people don't give a fuck about climate change, about air pollution, about the future of the planet and it's population. It's all about money.

We learned about global warming, pollution, the ozone layer, all of this, when I was at school in the 80s. We've known about climate change for decades. And now it's too late.

No one gives a fuck.

And what twats are still voting Tory FFS? I honestly have given up all hope with humanity. We are all doomed.

That area of outer London is virtually rural in some areas. I'm all for schemes like this in city centes, but it makes little sense in Uxbridge, Ruislip, Hillingdon etc. All it does is penalises the poorest who cannot afford to upgrade their cars.

Observed 6% reduction in carbon emissions form transport in other zones ao

I'm not sure why anyone would expect the Constituency that previously elected Boris Johnson to make decisions that are in any way sensible.

And I'm Labour through and through. And asthmatic. And I absolutely care about climate change. But Ulez was always going to lose them votes in Uxbridge, because it is just not thought through properly.

It's just spin to take attention away from the tiny win margin - talk about ULEZ

A lot of the poorest probably can't afford cars in the first place.

Agree, but this is an area where having a car makes it easier to get to work etc. People are more likely to prioritise buying an running an old car for ever, just so that they can get to work.

If ULEZ really is about clean air the mayor would just ban the worst polluting vehicles entirely.

As it is, I can't enter London with my older car - 7 seater btw - because it's an older diesel and we are all going to die. However, if I pay £12.50 then I can enter London and we are no longer all going to die.

It does what it needs to in terms of getting air pollution down

It's not part of joined up thinking about climate change

And yes expect the less money you have the worse your chances in a world torn apart by climate change run by people only interested in themselves and their mates

In outer London suburbs like Uxbridge there are lots of people that are working in jobs where driving is essential, and pay isn’t huge. They live there for affordable homes (cos the public transport is less joined up than in central boroughs) proximity to the M25 and North and South circular and to be able to access businesses and homes in London. Jobs like: carer, delivery driver, maintenance/trades, builders, retail/services who need to deliver/have customers drive to them. ULEZ is affecting their ability to afford to live in a cost of living crisis, so it’s very unpopular with those groups.

How is Uxbridge, Ruislip and Hillingdon virtually rural? They have access 3 tube lines
between them and at least 3 different suburban train lines into central london (off the top of my head) I’ve head a lot of crap about ULEZ but that’s hilarious!

The constituency is Uxbridge and South Ruislip and to suggest most of it is rural is hilarious. Have you been there?!

South Ruislip in particular is about as far from rural as you can get.

ULEZ is a big problem and extremely unpopular.

There are many people struggling financially who will need to buy new cars or literally they won't be able to go to work, go to the supermarket etc. There are not enough public transport options to make that a viable alternate.

The ULEZ zone isn't city centre, it's deeply residential.

If it was voted on by residents it would rejected.

I'm very much for green initiatives but this one isn't a good one.

£12.50 a day on top of CoL crisis, to carry on driving to work/school/caring responsibilities is a lot. Public transport works for some people for some journeys, but not if you need a van full of tools or to go around (rather than into or out of) London or to transport someone with a disability.

This!

also, with the vast majority of traffic reduction schemes, once they are implemented residents never want to go back.

I was talking about outer London general where the ulez will be expanded to. I love near Bromley. Parts of it are rural.

Too many ego candidates in that election which split the votes 🙄

What would be your alternative to Ulez. Having lived by the north circular and walking through the gridlock that is north London what would you suggest?