It was very close, just a few hundred votes in it, and it was Boris Johnson's relatively safe old seat of Uxbridge. But still, it was a surprise because the Tories couldn't be more unpopular in the capital if they outlawed alcohol and privatised the air that Londoners breathe.
So, how did they win? By campaigning against the drive by London's Labour mayor, Sadiq Khan, to clean the city's polluted (if still free) air. Khan has created a socalled ultra low emission zone in central London, within which older, heavily polluting vehicles will have to pay a daily charge to operate. His intention. is to expand the zone out into the suburbs, including Uxbridge, and right across the city.
Given that the country is committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050, taxing high-polluting vehicles in the capital seems like a very modest step. But it's been deemed too big a move, and too fast, by Labour bigwigs, who have asked Khan to rethink the policy.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der August 5-11 2023-Ausgabe von New Zealand Listener.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der August 5-11 2023-Ausgabe von New Zealand Listener.
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First-world problem
Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.
Applying intelligence to AI
I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.
Nazism rears its head
Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.
Staying ahead of the game
Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?
Grasping the nettle
Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.
Hangry? Eat breakfast
People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.
Chemical reaction
Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.
Me and my guitar
Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.
Time is on my side
Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?
The kids are not alright
Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.