Today (Thursday) Sadiq Khan announced some revisions to the scrappage scheme so it appears this was a coordinated Labour campaign ahead of the GLA elections to persuade the electorate that 'we are listening' and that the letters from Brent, Ealing and other Labour councils brought about the change.
Since this post was published other London Labour boroughs have tweeted the same message - clearly a concerted effort.
Today (Thursday) Sadiq Khan announced some revisions to the scrappage scheme so it appears this was a coordinated Labour campaign ahead of the GLA elections to persuade the electorate that 'we are listening' and that the letters from Brent, Ealing and other Labour councils brought about the change.
He even has his photo on his headed notepaper!!! What a pretentious poser!!!
ReplyDeleteLOL, LMAO
DeleteButt has done nothing to stop the traffic jams in Ealing Road, Wembley High, Park Lane and other parts of Wembley where thousands of polluting vehicles spew out toxic exhaust fumes everyday.
ReplyDeleteButt arranged the completely unnecessary repaving of Wembley High Road causing months of extra traffic issues and pollution.
Butt has allowed thousands of new parking spaces to be built around the stadium encouraging people to drive when the new Wembley Stadium was billed as a 'public transport destination'. On event days local buses are diverted causing issues for those choosing to use public transport - all the extra cars get priority, the local buses should get priority!
Butt is allowing cars to park in Fryent Country Park on event days - ruining the enjoyment of the vital park for local people and disturbing wildlife.
Butt has allowed loads of mature trees to be cut down for all the hundreds of tower blocks, most haven't been replaced.
Etc, etc, etc.
Well said.. all politicians are selfish..
DeleteBrent roads, stations and bus stops, given its many new and proposed car-free housing tower zones/ for developers-TfL to key infrastructure fund, a for massive population growth Brent Active Travel Plan cheapest travel linking lives in, through and across borough boundaries north, south, east and west London.
ReplyDeleteLets get Wembley to Westfield active travel direct active travel route funded and built instead of the present scary fix of......
DfT £ delegates to TfL and TfL £ delegates to Brent and Brent £ delegates to its small thinking little QPARA's
I presume this letter was prompted by sudden realisation that the Labour Mayor’s policy will cost Labour votes. Liberal Democrats called on the Mayor months ago to improve the scheme and more people with the cost of replacing their vehicles. It is good to see the Labour leadership in Brent to finally wake up to the problem.
ReplyDeleteNo doubt the Mayor has already decided to pull the rabbit (more money) out of the hat with less than a year before he faces the voters so don’t be too surprised if the usual suspects start claiming credit for the prearranged decision - paid for out of the over 9% Council Tax rise the Mayor imposed on London Taxpayers for the 3rd year running.
“To improve the scheme” not to stop it. Lib Dems are just useful stooges sometimes.
DeleteBrent and Great Western Towers 6 boroughs Mega City has an ever growing car-free housing zoned non-ULEZ population.
ReplyDeleteIt would be good political policy to offer this population high quality car-free movement alternatives to paying bus and paying train total reliance due to local severances being by city planners sustained.
Imagine Venice without its footpath bridges and people instead needing to pay ferries to travel a few metres. Replace canals only with rail tracks, canals, rivers and congested A/ B roads and you have the Great Western car-free towers Mega City C21 in fragments building.
ULEZ is clearly more painful for Londoners with no meaningful all modes Transport Plan for investment being applied to best serve a growing car-free populations very obvious needs as well.
Everyone strategic responsible non-plan delegating is not the best way to 'World Class' Transport Plan London and ULEZ falls into this same void of bad growth ideas.
The composting of the existing footpath over rail tracks bridge at Wembley is one Brent example of a bad growth severance policy.
Butt brown nosing Sadiq Khan, we are not fooled.
ReplyDeleteWhat a pathetic Labour attempt to con the London voters. You'd think that Khan would have thought of the cost to low income families a long time ago when he proposed his expansion scheme but he is incompetent and wasting our money on out dated Ulez publicity.
ReplyDeleteThe free school meals is another election stunt and a fiasco. Most schools cannot cope in cooking and serving all the extra meals without expensive new kitchens, extra equipment and extra staff. Khan's scheme is just for 1 year and as he is not paying for the extra equipment etc why would schools risk investing their own money and see all that investment wasted as the Labour Mayor will have no need to repeat the 'stunt' after the election.
Barry Gardiner talking about it on BBC Radio London this morning, so too faced - he won’t campaign against intensive tower block developments and their environmental impact yet praises the mayor for stopping these polluting vehicles - they won’t be stopped if people can afford the congestion charge and really old vehicles are now classed as classic cars and therefore exempt from the charge.
ReplyDeleteSadly some Londoners will be fooled by all of this.
The ULEZ expansion into zone 2 was successfully managed in silence, but sadly little beyond conservation area mitigations are so far apparent in Kilburn.
ReplyDeleteCar-free housing tall building zoned South Kilburn many stations 45 ha is still in 2023 stuck in a warped developers dream of doubling its vehicle roads by 2041.
What a (non-)surprise!
ReplyDeleteToday, Thursday 1 June, Sadiq Khan announces that he is expanding the ULEZ scrappage scheme, and Brent Communications team already have a press release ready to issue:
'Brent Council Leader praises ULEZ scrappage scheme expansion'.
Cllr. Butt's own Tweet about it (see above) also appears to have been ready to post.
Further proof that the letters to the Mayor on Tuesday 30 May from Cllr. Butt and other Labour Council Leaders and Sadiq Khan's response were part of a coordinated London Labour Party effort to gain positive publicity.
ULEZ bigger picture moving forward towards 2041....
ReplyDeleteThe Evening Standard today has a big push for HS2 to terminate at Euston rather than Greater Harlesden (Old Oak) inside the new Great Western car-free towers 6 boroughs Mega City now building.
The Standard says HS2 would terminate at Ealing/ only Euston is London? While Andy Burnham says it would terminate four miles from Wembley?
I'm sure the other five West London boroughs will be awake and counter lobby this one, poor Brent still UK biggest transport super-hub at Greater Harlesden major opportunity unaware.
In response to Anon and 'stooges' comment.
ReplyDeleteThe Liberal Democrats believe that it is a good idea to get polluting vehicles off local roads.
As a Primary School Governor in Brent I know that the health of children is impacted by air pollution especially if the school play area is right next to a busy road as in the case Sudbury Primary in Watford Road and many other local schools.
It is a shame that the current Government has so far failed to take an interest and support a faster transition to cleaner cars.
The trouble with the Mayor and Labour Councillors recent posturing on the issue is that at the same time as expressing concerns about air pollution they are pushing for more and more monster tower blocks into our area - which of course requires thousands of road journey through Brent streets by heavily polluting builders lorries.
The idea of ‘improving’ a bad policy rather than standing against it was what got the liberal democrats into bother during the coalition. Labour is already a broad church with a diverse range of views on how to improve’ various things including the ulez. Why not just join us and come under Cllr Butt’s wing as what do you offer when I am the first to admit, what we need is opposition.
DeleteWhat have Labour actually improved???
DeleteEveryone moans about the government not doing anything but what about parents taking action to make a difference???
ReplyDeleteHow many parents are choosing to drive their kids to school when they could use public transport?
How many parents have huge Chelsea tractor type vehicles?
How many housesholds in Wembley now have 3 or 4 cars when there are 3 stations and 10 bus routes right next to them?
How many parents drive the same route everyday alone when they could be car sharing?
To Anonymous @ 16.03
ReplyDeleteI am one of those parents.
There are 3 primary schools within easy walking distance from my home, I would be more than happy for my children 6 and 9 to walk to school, as do my older children. Unfortunately my children were not given places locally. They are attending 2 different schools in Harlesden. It is impossible for me to get both my children to two separate schools on time without driving them, as using public transport is a logistical nightmare. I too, have to be in work by 9.00 am. As it stands they have to attend breakfast club and after school clubs in order for me to work. I am not alone, there are lots of us who have no choice due to decisions made beyond our control. Perhaps you should ask Brent Council why this is.
Trains and buses go to Harlesden from Wembley Central - number 18 is the most regular route.
DeleteDystopian Brent.
DeleteWe have Labour and Liberal Democrat leaders here supporting a Ulez.
ReplyDeleteWhat has become of Labour and Liberals in support of this?
We have both supporting stricter regulations and government interventions, limiting individuals' ability to make their own decisions, particularly regarding vehicle usage and transportation options.
We have both not actually recognising ULEZ can put a real strain on people's wallets, especially if they own older vehicles that don't meet the emission standards. For folks with tight finances, shelling out for a newer, cleaner ride or paying non-compliance fees ain't an easy task. Absolutely ridiculous to think a higher trade in grant would help this. The reality is ULEZ policies hit low-income and working-class communities the hardest. These folks might rely heavily on older, cheaper cars and struggle to afford pricier, cleaner vehicles or the fines for not complying.
Not to even recognise public transport options might not be affordable or accessible for everyone north or the circular. This leaves folks who depend on their own wheels in a bind, making it tough for them to adapt to the new rules.
This is before we even consider the veracity of the clains that underpins this. ULEZ aim to cut emissions and improve local air quality, but they don't do enough to tackle the bigger picture of global climate change. Focusing only on local vehicle emissions won't solve the broader challenges posed by industrial pollution or global transportation systems.
ULEZ policies are more about politicians looking good and signaling their green credentials rather than making a substantial impact. Hence Paul Lorber, Liberal Democrat leader posting on here when not actually against it at all. He wants to say something to distinguish himself from Cllr Butt but is actually saying nothing. it’s all for show, and as we see wiry Cllr Butt and his face on letter headers is is about policymakers caring more about public perception than finding comprehensive and effective solutions.
Shame and a plague on both their houses.
The Labour Party, much like the Liberal Democrats in support of the Ulez prioritise the interests of the wealthy middle class over the needs of the poor, leaving doubts about their commitment to addressing the struggles faced by the most vulnerable in our society.