High price of keeping Khan

OF COURSE, we all want cleaner air in our cities. But the way that London mayor Sadiq Khan has brought forward the implementation of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) in London is just typical of a knee-jerk politician obsessed with his own image. By speeding up the introduction of the scheme — which requires drivers of non-compliant vehicles to pay a daily £12.50 levy or face a hefty fine — he has ensured that those at the lower end of the income scale pay the highest price. They are the ones most likely to be driving older, cheaper vehicles which now, practically overnight, have plummeted in value. The wealthy will simply take the financial hit and upgrade, saving themselves the charge. What if you just can’t afford a few thousand pounds? What if your car or van is your livelihood? You’ll have to pay through the nose, as always — and all for the privilege of getting Mr Khan re-elected. Why is it always the little people who have to mop up the mistakes of big business? And why is a Labour mayor presiding over a vehicle tax that will make life even harder for those at the bottom end of the financial ladder?