‘It won’t even touch the sides’: Sadiq Khan told bid to quell ULEZ expansion anger by increasing scrappage payments for older cars to £2,000 is not enough to help struggling families as London Mayor vows to plough ahead with hated expansion

•  All Londoners with non-compliant cars are entitled to £2,000 grant

Sadiq Khan was blasted today as he tried see off widespread opposition to his plan to expand London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone scheme with more money for scrapping non-compliant cars.

Minister Maria Caulfield warned the mayor that his move to increase grants to families replacing older more polluting vehicles to a maximum of £2,000 would do little to help with the cost of a replacement.

The Labour Mayor has faced pressure from MPs within his own party and the Conservatives to row back on the daily £12.50 charge for the most polluting vehicles, which will be brought in across the capital later this month. 

But he has vowed to continue, while increasing the amount of cash available to people who upgrade their cars. 

Ms Caulfield told Sky News: ‘I don’t think it touched the sides of people’s concerns. I think he’s reacting to why Labour didn’t win the Uxbridge by-election. 

‘£2,000 is nothing if you’re having to replace your car.’

Another Tory MP, Thurrock’s Jackie Doyle-Price, added that the scrappage scheme was only applicable to Londoners, saying: ‘My constituents on who Londoners depend will still have to find £300 (a month) to travel to work. Not good enough at all. The ULEZ extension should be scrapped entirely.’

In April Auto Trader’s Retail Price index revealed the price of second-hand cars had increased 32 per cent in a year, to an average of £17,815.

Sadiq Khan said he would never ‘step back, delay or water down’ Ulez as he announced an expansion of the scrappage scheme for older vehicles

The Labour Mayor has faced pressure from MPs within his own party and the Conservatives to row back on the daily £12.50 charge for polluting vehicles, which will be brought in across the capital later this month

Mr Khan has vowed he would never ‘step back, delay or water down’ the much disputed motorist levy.  

Insisting he will press ahead with imposing the policy after a High Court challenge from five local authorities failed last week, he said the scrappage scheme would help ‘make the transition to a greener city easier’ during the cost-of-living crisis.

But the Tory’s Conservative London Mayoral candidate Susan Hall attacked the Mayor for causing ‘financial ruin’ to thousands of people across the capital.

Tory London Assembly Member Keith Prince added Mr Khan’s announcement still ‘does not go far enough to stop the damage his Ulez expansion will do to Londoners’.

Every Londoner with a non-compliant vehicle is now entitled to a £2,000 grant to scrap or retrofit their vehicle, with the total scrappage scheme cost estimated to reach £160million.

Mr Khan said: ‘I’m not prepared to step back, delay or water down green policies like Ulez, which will not only save lives and protect children’s lungs by cleaning up polluted air but help us to fight the climate crisis.

‘I can announce an expansion to the scrappage scheme that means all Londoners with non Ulez-compliant cars will be able to get financial support to switch to greener vehicles. 

‘We are ensuring that help is available for everyone – and I urge Londoners to come and get it.’

Sadiq Khan said he would never ‘step back, delay or water down’ Ulez as he announced an expansion of the scrappage scheme for older vehicles

Those who convert their non-compliant vans and minibuses to electric vehicles would be given £9,500 and £11,500 respectively – an extra £2,000.

Ms Hall, however, said: ‘This is too little, too late from Sadiq Khan, who is facing mounting pressure from Londoners and his own party.

‘Thousands of families, small businesses and charities face financial ruin because of Sadiq Khan’s Ulez expansion, which will do next to nothing to improve air quality.’

Mr Prince added: ‘This is an act of desperation from Sadiq Khan to appease members of his own party, but does not go far enough to stop the damage his Ulez expansion will do to Londoners. 

‘The best thing he could do is U-turn and adopt some policies that would actually clean the air, such as accelerating the move to zero emission buses.’ 

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