I WAS in the High Court yesterday as Mr Justice Swift handed down a verdict that will leave millions of Londoners and those in the surrounding counties disappointed and frankly perplexed.
Labour Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has won a legal battle to extend his hated Ultra Low Emission Zone to the edges of the M25 on August 29.
It means that in 31 days’ time, anyone who drives into the Ulez zone in a car, van or lorry that doesn’t meet the strict new pollution regulations will be forced to pay at least £12.50 every time.
It wasn’t the judge’s place to decide on whether the Ulez expansion should go ahead, but to examine how the decision was arrived at and whether the process was lawful.
Despite the fact that in Mr Khan’s consultation, two out of three people said they are against the expansion, the five Greater London councils opposing this new Ulez zone did not manage to convince the judge.