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.

Middle finger up at any rozzers trying to stop them?

I thought we were discussing the Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency, which Harefield is not in.

The great thing about walking and cycling is that one can go in any direction one likes.

Yes the HS2 has made things massively worse and the frequent rerouting just pushes more journeys into cars.

I'm reminded of the (middle class, able bodied, male) green wannabe councilor around here some years ago who wanted to reduce parking at the stations to "encourage" people onto the infrequent buses.

I asked him if he had done an equalities impact or considered how he would drop a child at school in one direction (with bags), another child to a childminder/nursery in the other direction (with bags) and get to the station to take the train to work, all within the time window of nurseries/breakfast clubs opening and 9.00.

The clueless muppet had presumably had a woman to worry about this for him or never had to work shifts. He turned on his (designer) trainers to talk to like minded men.

LEZ and ULEZ are being put in place in more and more cities across Europe, so do check if you're taking your car on holiday (there are over 300 of them now)

Yes, it's being done for air quality, after the death of Ella Kissi-Debrah
The scheme isn't making anything like the revenue first projected

Girl's asthma death a 'canary' warning for London pollution, inquest told | Air pollution | The Guardian

But if Londoners vote in a Tory mayor and a Tory majority, then I expect it'll be reversed, putting us further out of step with the new health standards of the EU (not mandatory, so I don't mean that in a legalish, obligations sense - rather a "lets have a filthy environment so the rich can get richer" sort of way.

(See also filthy beaches and waterways)

I wonder if you have me confused with someone else?

The definition of vilify is To attack the reputation of (a person or thing) with strong or abusive criticism - most definitely have not done this!

I think people need homes to live in. I do not think this is a double standard, the Green Party are in favour of people having homes to live in.

I see the climate change deniers are out in force. Funny how they all seem to be right wingers.
Yes, Tories voted for poisoned dirty air.

ULEZ is very unpopular and ridiculous. As has been said this wasn't a big win for them, not many votes in it at all really.

Harefield hillingdon

which is the Uxbridge /ruislip constituency

The “you can get anywhere walking and cycling” brigade conveniently forgets that a lot of working people (often women) are taking one or more children to different childcare and school settings then heading off to their own jobs.

Nursery places are like gold dust in this area (you need to apply in utero) so conveniently lining up nursery, school and work in one short walk or cycle isn’t really possible, unlike when I lived in Islington.

Oh voters of Uxbridge.

You’ll be able to drive your car a bit more cheaply but better start saving for private schools, private healthcare and a dignitas fund because you’ve just contributed to the decimation of public services and a very real recruitment crisis in teaching, healthcare and care services.

Yes Uxbridge did just do that. Cant argue with stupid.

It’s not climate deniers. It’s people worried about putting food on their table in September.

ulez IS a good thing but needed more support and better implementation. Most people want to do it, it’s giving people the means to do so.

You can believe in climate change but believe that ULEZ is ridiculous. Even emergency vehicles are subject to pay charges that aren't compliant ffs yet they aren't given the funds to upgrade the whole fleet. Not everyone can afford to change their vehicles and they're given an arbitrary charge for the audacity of not being richer.

There is farmland in both Ruislip and Uxbridge areas, the thread had expanded to look at Hillingdon and outer London issues more widely - Harefield is the neighbouring constituency to Uxbridge.

If you are privileged to be able to walk and cycle everywhere without having to worry about shifts, family responsibilities juggled with work or time constraints then lucky old you. Most people are not able to cycle or walk everywhere, especially not within the time constraints of daily life.

I think a lot of people assume the entirety of London is like central London, easily walkable/public transport accessible/can cycle.

It hits the poorest. Wealthier people just upgrade frequently anyway

I’m for it in London and glad we have it but I get the argument about who it impacts

wouldn’t it be wonderful if it could work like that, unfortunately it takes two wages to run a home now, so there isn’t the time. (I firmly place car reliance being intrinsically linked to house price booms).

We had one of those round here (sadly, another blue seat) I questioned a few policies and never saw him again.

I probably actually align with the Green Party more than any other. But they don’t do themselves any favours do they.

Recently spoke to a lady who has an electric car and a very good job. She takes weekly flights (many long haul) for work. She'll be fine.

Meanwhile, my mum in her late 80s, living near the edge of the expanded Ulez zone, who no longer drives, relies on my brother (who is just outside the zone) to take her shopping, social events etc. He can't afford to replace his car, especially now the cost of compliant cars has massively increased.

Last time I was visiting, I dropped my frail mother at her old people's group, a 10 minute drive (to save her taking 2 buses each way!) The car park was full of old Honda Jazz type cars, that the pensioners can't afford to replace. The club will probably fold if Khan gets his way.

God help anyone who needs a carer.

Khan announced this in November 2022 - for the less well off, it's a nightmare, especially during a cost of living crisis.

There's been zero consultation, and Khan has concocted loads of lies about 4,000 deaths, just trying to balance the books for TFL. £12.50 is not going to be used to try to save the planet.

I’m assuming & hoping that loads of the voters of Uxbridge will vote differently in a General Election to a Local Election where they naturally focus on local issues.

Hillingdon borough is a Tory council

It was a by-election, not a local election. They’re voting for their MP, same as in a general election.

This. Penalises the poor disproportionately. Those with no driveways to charge their car. inadequate charging points that are more expensive than home electric. Only able to afford old car models , living in poor housing in the inner city ulev zone where driving to school or work or the supermarket gets you charged. Where public transport is a bit shit... It's an easy policy for those who don't live in the area and can access daily life without being in the zone or needing to go in the zone and having adequate money to buy the right car and charge it cheaply at home.

Alltheusernamesaretakennow · Today 09:45
Recently spoke to a lady who has an electric car and a very good job. She takes weekly flights (many long haul) for work. She'll be fine.

Meanwhile, my mum in her late 80s, living near the edge of the expanded Ulez zone, who no longer drives, relies on my brother (who is just outside the zone) to take her shopping, social events etc. He can't afford to replace his car, especially now the cost of compliant cars has massively increased.”

Very sorry for your mum’s situation but we all have to make serious changes to our lives if our children and grandchildren are to have any hope of living to their late 80s. Being old doesn’t excuse us from responsibility.

don’t mistake this as me questioning you, you sound better informed than me. I thought harefield was boris’s constituency. I’m sure a colleague was moaning about never seeing him.

just looked it up. It comes under ruislip but not South Ruislip. I thought they were responsible for him. I’ll scowl less if I’m in the co-op

And? Its not a council policy, its a London mayoral policy whose roll out is opposed by most outer London councils for the same reasons as Hillingdon council.

It has a massive negative impact on the poorest whilst the affluent middle classes will be fine.