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Rishi Sunak Should Overrule Local Councils’ Attacks on Motorists, Including Unwanted 15-Minute Cities

by Toby Young
19 February 2023 9:00 AM

Ross Clark has written a great piece for the Telegraph urging the Prime Minister to over-rule the crackpot schemes of local politicians to impose more taxes on motorists, such as Sadiq Khan’s planned extension of London’s Ultra Low Emissions Zone. He thinks it would be popular and might even revive the Conservative’s flagging fortunes.

Four London boroughs, as well as Surrey County Council, have launched a judicial review of the Ulez extension, alleging that Khan deliberately targeted his consultation at younger, non-motorists in an effort to swing the results in his favour – and then ignored evidence that two thirds of respondents were against the scheme. But why should it be left to borough councils to fight it out with Khan? The proliferation of low-emission zones, congestion charges and “15-minute cities” demands that the Government step in and formulate a national policy on what councils can charge for and how they can charge for it.

I wouldn’t object if the Government replaced fuel duty and road tax with a national road pricing scheme, which charged us all a simple, easy-to-understand tariff according to where we had driven – and then billed us in a civilised manner. As electric cars start to eat into income from fuel duty, such a system is probably inevitable.

But what we have is a bunch of councils acting as highwaymen, instigating a patchwork of aggressively enforced charging schemes. London, Bristol and Birmingham all now have low-emission zones, London with a congestion charge on top. Oxford and Canterbury are developing bizarre schemes where you can drive in and out but get hammered if you cross from one mysterious zone to another. Then there are tolls for the Dartford and Mersey bridges. We are supposed to know where these schemes are, what their rules are and how to pay them – even when we are visiting an unfamiliar part of the country. Then we are given no more than 48 hours to pay – or else a fine arrives in the post. It is not safe to drive anywhere in Britain without an encyclopedic knowledge of local government road-charging schemes.

What an excellent idea. Worth reading in full.

Stop Press: There was a protest in Oxford yesterday against the local council’s plan to create 15-minute neighbourhoods that attracted a lively counter-protest, with black-clad demonstrators carrying signs saying, ‘No to racism, no to fascism’ and ‘Don’t let the fascists divide us’.

Stop Press 2: The traffic-calming measures in Canterbury, whereby the city is going to be divided into seven different zones with restricted travel by car between them, is actually the brainchild of a the city council’s Conservative leader Ben Fitter-Harding, with the Labour and Lib Dem councillors opposing them. One Conservative councillor, who dismissed the plan as a “utopian dream”, says he hasn’t met a single resident who’s in favour of it and fears a wipe-out at the next election if Mr. Fitter-Harding presses ahead. The Telegraph has more.

Tags: 15-Minute CitiesLTNsSadiq KhanUlez Expansion SchemeWar on Motorists

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46 Comments
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Grahamb
Grahamb
2 years ago

A central gov policy of any road lega car (ie pass mot) only pays applicable vehicle tax would stop this. No other tax or charges on public roads. Private bridge, tunnel or road, charge away but public roads, no other charges. Simples

45
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10navigator
10navigator
2 years ago

“There was a protest in Oxford yesterday against the local council’s plan to create 15-minute neighbourhoods that attracted a lively counter-protest, with black-clad demonstrators carrying signs saying, ‘No to racism, no to fascism’ and ‘Don’t let the fascists divide us’.”
Welcome to ‘Clown World’.

129
0
MikeAustin
MikeAustin
2 years ago
Reply to  10navigator

Pah! I was there – about 3,000 of us demonstrators. Antifa barely numbering double figures were ‘kettled’ by the police.
It was a happy, peaceful demonstration that could have been organised better. I got the impression that most of the onlookers didn’t have a clue what it was about!
My placard attacched.

deleteme.jpg
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10navigator
10navigator
2 years ago
Reply to  MikeAustin

Glad to hear it Mike. Marvin Gaye was right. “People say believe half of what you see son, and none of what you hear.”—Heard it Through the Grapevine. (Original attrib to Edgar Allan Poe).

54
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Bella Donna
Bella Donna
2 years ago
Reply to  MikeAustin

Excellent poster Mike. Thanks for attending.

56
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MikeAustin
MikeAustin
2 years ago
Reply to  MikeAustin

Here is a report by Rebel News, interviewing several protesters: https://youtu.be/t4Pl0NJ6b-Y

3
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Free Lemming
Free Lemming
2 years ago
Reply to  10navigator

How is an anti-racism protest a counter-protest to a protest against restricting movement? To me this proves one thing – there are forces at play that are much bigger than local council.

107
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Chris P
Chris P
2 years ago
Reply to  Free Lemming

All a set up so that the media talk about the counter protest (twenty people maximum) rather than the subject of the protest. I am disappointed the Daily Sceptic fell into the trap. A trap even the BBC avoided: –

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-64689171

48
0
jburns75
jburns75
2 years ago
Reply to  10navigator

I went to a meeting of one of the main protest groups a while ago (sadly couldn’t make the protest yesterday) and noticed it was attended by fellow racists and fascists of all ethnicities (minority groups being the hardest hit by these vainglorious schemes of empty headed wealthy virtue signallers). White attendees were a small minority. Though I don’t live in the area, I was proud to add my voice to all of theirs.

Down the road on the way back I passed bunch of Extinction Rebellion students in a Cowley park engaging in some sort of eco cult circle jerk – not an ounce of melatonin darkening their untroubled, privileged faces.

68
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TheGreenAcres
TheGreenAcres
2 years ago
Reply to  10navigator

Indeed, surely if one side are the fascists in this situation, it’s the councillors seeking to divide the populace into compounds and track their every movement.

44
-1
huxleypiggles
huxleypiggles
2 years ago
Reply to  10navigator

Indeed and protesting against the right wing Heritage Party.

Why didn’t the Oxford Mail write something like:

Heritage Party members amongst the protesters were attacked by a bunch of Marxist eco loons intent on stirring violence.

For crying out loud

48
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Mogwai
Mogwai
2 years ago

Did anyone see this 2 min speech by this 12 year old girl in Oxford? She’s obviously had a bit of help from her parents but nevertheless she’s awesome. I especially like the little dig at Greta ‘Cabbage Patch Kid’ Thunburg.

https://odysee.com/@Arango:7/12yo_socialclip_v3:8

100
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ellie-em
ellie-em
2 years ago
Reply to  Mogwai

Greta ‘Cabbage Patch Kid” Thunburg has more of a resemblance to the ‘Chucky’ doll variety, methinks.

41
0
Mogwai
Mogwai
2 years ago
Reply to  ellie-em

Agreed.🤭 There’s always the Garbage Pail Kids too, if you remember them?😄 I used to collect them as a kid. I only remember Hairy Mary…

https://www.oldsportscards.com/garbage-pail-kids-cards/

14
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Chris P
Chris P
2 years ago
Reply to  Mogwai

I couldn’t hear the speeches from where I was. The sound system was underpowered for the size of crowd.

13
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huxleypiggles
huxleypiggles
2 years ago
Reply to  Mogwai

Thanks Mogs. An inspiring young lady.

9
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john1T
john1T
2 years ago

Sunak is a WEF globalist. We will see if he actually wants to side with motorists.

98
-1
MikeAustin
MikeAustin
2 years ago

It is all very well to blame the councils but, just suppose, that government funding is contingent on the councils carrying out this ‘open prison’ lockdown. Just suppose that Rishi Sunak and others in power are signed-up to the WEF. Just suppose that the global elite are driving all this.
Just suppose.

112
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Marcus Aurelius knew
Marcus Aurelius knew
2 years ago
Reply to  MikeAustin

Exactly. Fishy Rishi would ride in, to great fanfare, save the day… and then do it anyway – they need more of our money to balance the books post Lockdown, billions to big pharma etc.

Last edited 2 years ago by Marcus Aurelius knew
63
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huxleypiggles
huxleypiggles
2 years ago
Reply to  Marcus Aurelius knew

“they need more of our money”

They seek to steal our money in order to drive our impoverishment. Balancing the books is irrelevant. Fishy and the rest knew what they were up to when they were throwing our money about these last three years.

The clue to the reasoning behind the Prison Cities is in the title.

44
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huxleypiggles
huxleypiggles
2 years ago
Reply to  MikeAustin

I would not believe for one minute that these Prison Cities are not being instigated by forces away from local government, simply because local councils tend to consist of supremely thick people. However, at the moment and probably as a direct result of their undoubted thickness the local councillors are fronting these schemes and so they must be held accountable.

47
0
stewart
stewart
2 years ago
Reply to  huxleypiggles

They’re being talked about in other European countries too. So, no, I have dount you are right and it’s not coming from thick local councillors. They are simply the latest group of useful idiots being marshalled to the service of the new world order.

48
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BurlingtonBertie
BurlingtonBertie
2 years ago
Reply to  huxleypiggles

Implementation of these measures results in government money being paid to the council.
Local councillors are just the latest in a long line of useful idiots for the real villains to hide behind whilst virtue signalling that they’re standing up for the common man…

25
0
stewart
stewart
2 years ago

In the times of imperial China, when people felt they were subjected to unjust treatment they would make trips to Beijing and spend weeks camped outside the Imperial Palace waiting for an audience with the emperor. Eventually they would get the opportunity, probably after paying enough bribes, to make their case to the emperor and plead for justice and redress.

It looks like 21st century Britain has a similar system. Local councils can run roughshod over people with arbitrary capricious laws and only emperor Sunak can make it right for us.

Someone please tell me why we don’t have a bill of rights that stops bureaucrats and politicians from making up any rules and laws they please under the cover of representative democracy.

Sorry, I don’t want to live in a place where I have to plead with a politician to defend me from abuse from technocrats like in feudal China.

Last edited 2 years ago by stewart
74
0
john1T
john1T
2 years ago
Reply to  stewart

Agreed, but not Dominic Raab’s bill of rights. Something more akin to the US constitution.

19
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Uncle Monty
Uncle Monty
2 years ago

No elected representative will prevent the slow creeping enslavement of humanity.
Common Purpose have infiltrated every echelon of the public sphere, this is the manifestation of their vision of a ‘Post Democratic society’.
Oxford City Council are merely following the local implementation guidance of the Sustainable Development Goals of Agenda 2030.

https://www.local2030.org/

75
0
huxleypiggles
huxleypiggles
2 years ago
Reply to  Uncle Monty

Correct.

17
0
RTSC
RTSC
2 years ago
Reply to  Uncle Monty

Correct ….. and fully supported by the Westminster Uni-Party which is why, whoever “wins” a General Election, the policy stays the same.

36
0
barrososBuboes
barrososBuboes
2 years ago

As mentioned below Sunak is WEF and smart cities is a fundamental policy of WEF. It will be very interesting to see how Sunak responds. It may help shine a further light on his globalist ideology.

70
0
Steve-Devon
Steve-Devon
2 years ago
Reply to  barrososBuboes

Overall the cars issue is quite crucial, as we know from top gear, cars are far more than a utilitarian mode of transport. I think most people had their heads in the sand on this issue and could not believe that we are heading for the end of private cars for most people. I think for many people it is a case of; ”you can lock me down, mask me up, vaccinate me 5 times and take away my dignity but you cannot take away our cars! I think that as people wake up to this war on the car they will be increasingly unhappy but whether anything will change? I do not know.

55
0
varmint
varmint
2 years ago

We have in the past had town centres mono blocked over and no cars permitted. This ofcourse was mainly because many town centres and High Streets were built over 100 years ago and were not really designed to take cars in the numbers we now have. So it maybe made sense to stop cars entering. So then High Street stores started to move away from high streets to out of town malls where there were hundreds of car parking spaces for their customers. But today everything that gets done it seems by governments all over the western world is based on reducing CO2 emissions first and foremost. Particularly in the UK which is one of the few countries in the world to have reducing CO2 enshrined in law. No matter the cost or practicality of reducing CO2 emissions we are going to do it anyway. But ofcourse if climate change that is alleged to be getting caused by CO2 is really occurring then it is a global problem and not one that can be solved by a few countries acting unilaterally. So in Wales eg not building new roads because it will lead to more cars is totally absurd. Nothing Wales does will affect global climate one jot. All their government is doing is trying to get a little gold star on their lapel from the planet saving UN. The other thing ofcourse is that in about 7 years time no more petrol or diesel cars will get manufactured and from then on will be phased out leaving only electric cars. But as with all things GREEN, the issue is never the issue and the reasons for doing something is never the one given. In order to get people onboard with everything green and everything “Sustainable” you need a very good excuse as it almost always amounts to less prosperity and less personal freedom, and that excuse is “climate change”. The biggest pseudo-scientific fraud ever. It is a manufactured crisis for which no evidence exists, and even as climate model after climate model upon which all of this “emergency” emanates from fail to be remotely accurate, we totally ignore that and become more adamant a crisis does exist and more and more draconian measures must be taken. ———-Suddenly deciding overnight that the vehicle you have CANNOT ENTER is about as draconian as it gets. You are paying tax for that vehicle. Your livelihood depends on that vehicle. You bought that vehicle in good faith never expecting to be banned from roads. So this then is all about using climate to get you out of that vehicle and onto busses, trains and bicycles because reducing CO2 comes first and you LAST.

118
0
huxleypiggles
huxleypiggles
2 years ago
Reply to  varmint

Spot on. Great post. 👍

Last edited 2 years ago by huxleypiggles
27
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psychedelia smith
psychedelia smith
2 years ago

I’d like to know who these ‘counter protestors’ are and where they come from. Sounds like they came straight out of a Davos storage container. Fully paid up, disguised and ready to protect any threat to the agenda. Sunak would be able to tell you.

Last edited 2 years ago by psychedelia smith
58
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huxleypiggles
huxleypiggles
2 years ago
Reply to  psychedelia smith

‘I’d like to know who these ‘counter protestors’ are and where they come from”

Random or perhaps stray Albanian immigrants perchance?

15
0
BurlingtonBertie
BurlingtonBertie
2 years ago
Reply to  psychedelia smith

Organised by this lot who hide behind smears, wokery, lies & masks or balaclavas.
Was well promoted amongst the groups of folk who were genuine protesters as a warning to not fall into any baited traps.

photo_2023-02-19_13-54-58 antifa.jpg
25
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Bella Donna
Bella Donna
2 years ago

Wake me up when the people decide to take our country and lifestyle back!

30
0
john ball
john ball
2 years ago

without the grants from central govt. in the first place local councils may not be able to do this. having an old car and living within the north circular in north London I already have to pay a ULEZ charge. in the current efforts to stop this being increased and 15 minute cities I hope this imposition will not be forgotten, and if the Govt. does start blocking these it also cancels this one.

29
0
TheGreenAcres
TheGreenAcres
2 years ago

As Rishi discovered when he shut down the Scottish dictator’s bizzarro-world groomer legislation, enacting policy the majority agree with actually makes you more electable. It’s a novel idea in Westminster for sure but maybe it will catch on.

34
0
stewart
stewart
2 years ago
Reply to  TheGreenAcres

I’ll tell you who knew that very well. Good and BoJo.

He was a master at speaking out both sides of his mouth. On the one hand pretending he was some sort of libertarian, on the other signing off on multiple lockdowns, vax passports and mandatory masking.

And the new crop of Davos regional managers like Sunak are all well versed in the approach now. Criticise the Scottish gender law but at the same time include transsexualism in his own conversion ban law.

If they have any interest in seeming electable, it’s to keep up the charade of democracy, not to do what the population think should be done.

32
0
john1T
john1T
2 years ago
Reply to  stewart

Same double talk on migration. Always talking up a new plan. If they actualy wanted to stop it they would have done so years ago. In truth want it to keep wages down. They encourage it with free housing healthcare dentist mobile phone and money in their pockets.

16
0
James Leary #KBF
James Leary #KBF
2 years ago

How come that the people who want no borders in Europe – in the world preferably – and want to welcome anybody moving across continents to come and live here are the self same people who want to erect electronic gates and cameras to stop their own people from even moving across their own town?

49
0
Lockdown Sceptic
Lockdown Sceptic
2 years ago

 “black-clad demonstrators carrying signs saying, ‘no to fascism’ 

Strange, I thought Blackshirts were fascists. I wonder if any these people have ever heard of Mussolini.

Stand in the Park Make friends & keep sane 

Sundays 10.30am to 11.30am
Elms Field 
near Everyman Cinema & play area
Wokingham RG40 2FE

22
-3
EileenD
EileenD
2 years ago

Not to be outdone, in Scotland they’re introducing the 20min City and town.

12
0
Welshp
Welshp
2 years ago

He’s a globalist shill, why on earth would anyone even think he would oppose these measures!

He’s part of the problem, not the solution. No helping some people!

11
0
lymeswold
lymeswold
2 years ago

James Delingpole’s recent Delingpod interview with Sandi Adams explains clearly why Sunak is highly unlikely to do what this article is suggesting. Absolutely worth listening to if you want to put a bit more of the jigsaw together.

0
0
DevonBlueBoy
DevonBlueBoy
2 years ago

Fitter-Harding has got to be a made up name

0
0

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