Letter: It’s Time to Put Public Health Above Politics

Published on: 2 Aug, 2023
Updated on: 2 Aug, 2023

From: Mark Bray-Parry

In response to: Lib Dem and Tory Hopefuls Condemn ULEZ Decision

I am disappointed to read that the Lib Dem’s prospective Parliamentary candidate Zoe Franklin is calling for a pause of the ULEZ expansion.

Given that the Lib Dems also took four years to come up with a £50 million climate action plan that they must have known the borough council’s finances couldn’t fund, one questions who voters, concerned about the environment, can trust at the next general election:

A Tory party who are unashamedly “on the side of drivers” and rowing back on environment commitments.

The Labour party, led by Kier “I hate tree huggers” Starmer and U-turning on every policy that may be opposed by the red wall voters.

Or the Liberal Democrats who, on this evidence, will make environmental commitments and then renege the minute they feel it will benefit their electoral chances.

Time to put the health of the public above politics.

Responses to Letter: It’s Time to Put Public Health Above Politics

David Roberts Reply

August 3, 2023 at 12:02 pm

The three big parties appear to be engaging in a race to the bottom on climate change and the environment, in the name of easing a temporary cost-of-living crisis. By pandering reactionary opinion, they all seem to think that ULEZ is the new Brexit.

Politics used to be about winning over the liberal centre ground. Now, candidates fall over backwards to please fringe conspiracy theorists and bigots.

Long after the current bout of inflation is forgotten, the damaging public health and economic consequences of traffic pollution will still haunt us. I am appalled that the Lib Dem challenger to Guildford’s parliamentary seat should jump on the latest culture-war bandwagon instead of sticking up for the long-term welfare of voters and their children.