Simon Jones: The politics of sustainability

Last week’s (July 20, 2023) by-election result in Uxbridge and South Ruislip was billed by some political commentators as a revolt against ULEZ (ultra-low emission zone) expansion that would affect the area. 

Labour had been widely tipped to take Boris Johnson’s old seat from the Conservatives, but it was the Tories that ended up with a slender margin of just 495. New MP for the constituency, Steve Tuckwell, ran a campaign that focused solely on stopping ULEZ expansion, and it did the job. 

If you’re thinking ‘it doesn’t really matter, the Conservatives won’t win the general election anyway,’ you’re probably right, but there’s a problem with that line of thought.