THE huge scale of public opposition to Ulez charges on drivers is today laid bare in a poll by The Sun.
Voters oppose the anti-car measure coming to their area by almost two to one, while one in three say they would be less likely to back politicians who brought in the charge.
AlamyThe huge scale of public opposition to ULEZ charges on drivers laid bare in The Sun’s poll[/caption]
London’s Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan is facing a furious backlash after extending the £12.50 daily levy to every inch of the capital for those driving older, more polluting vehicles.
His scheme has triggered a crime wave, as masked crusaders — dubbed Blade Runners — have taken to stealing or defacing the spy cameras which are central to the charging scheme.
At least 450 of the network’s 1,762 cameras — around one in four — have so far been disabled, while the Met Police has recorded 500 Ulez camera crimes in the past five months.
Senior Tories have urged PM Rishi Sunak to “seize the moment” and lead the fight against Ulez and other crippling net zero environmental charges.
Ex-Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg said: “The Conservatives can win the election if we show ourselves to be on the side of hard-pressed consumers rather than green ideologues.”
Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said: “It is time for us to recognise we need to make changes to reflect public opinion about the imposition of these extra costs, particularly when the cost of living is too high.”
And Craig Mackinlay, chairman of the Net Zero Scrutiny Group of Tory MPs, added: “It is clear from this poll — and the fury on the streets — that the public overwhelmingly oppose Ulez.”
The survey by pollsters Redfield & Wilton Strategies revealed only 26 per cent of people living outside London would support or strongly support a Ulez-style scheme in their town or city.
Some 47 per cent would oppose or strongly oppose it.
Just 28 per cent backed the recent roll-out to the outer London boroughs, while 43 per cent were against it.
The national poll of 1,500 voters also revealed politicians who bring in driver-bashing charges risk a hit at the ballot box.
Thirty per cent said they would be less likely to vote for a politician who introduced Ulez-style levies.
Only 20 per cent said they would be more likely to vote for them.
Meanwhile, 41 per cent said they think Ulez has made no difference to London’s air quality, while 29 per cent believe it has.
General support for Ulez in central London was evenly split.
The Tories have already used Ulez to their favour, winning the by-election in ex-PM Boris Johnson’s old Uxbridge seat by making the issue central to their campaign.
And The Sun’s Give Us A Brake campaign is calling on No10 to rethink anti-car schemes — including any extension of Ulez and the 2030 diesel and petrol new car ban.