Uxbridge by-election: Tories hold Boris Johnson’s old seat as Labour blame Sadiq Khan’s ULEZ expansion
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The Conservatives have held onto Boris Johnson’s former seat of Uxbridge and South Ruislip as Labour blame Sadiq Khan’s ULEZ expansion policy for the loss.
Tory councillor and former postman Steve Tuckwell won the west London constituency with 13,965 votes – beating Labour’s Danny Beales, on 13,470.
Sir Keir Starmer’s party had hoped to overturn the 7,210 majority but succeeded in narrowing the margin to just 495 votes.
Tuckwell described the result as a “referendum on ULEZ”, branding the expansion of the ultra low emission zone across the 32 boroughs a “damaging and costly policy”.
He said: “This wasn’t the campaign Labour expected and Keir Starmer and his mayor Sadiq Khan need to sit up and listen to the Uxbridge and South Ruislip residents.”
It came amid a mixed bag for the two major parties, with Rishi Sunak’s party losing Selby and Ainsty in a historic loss to Labour and a Lib Dem landslide in Somerton and Frome.
‘Difficult battle’
Labour insiders dubbed the Uxbridge result ‘Uloss’ indicating its impact. Tuckwell took 45.16 per cent of the vote, compared to Beales’ 43.56 per cent, while turnout was just 46 per cent.
The policy, originally brought in by Johnson as London mayor, and expanded by Khan, is set to see drivers of non-emissions standards compliant vehicles charged £12.50 a day in a bid to slash pollution and clean up the capital’s air.
Amid a cost of living crisis it has proved deeply unpopular with voters and is now awaiting a High Court ruling after a coalition of Tory councils successfully brought a judicial review.
Beales expressed reservations about the rollout in the final weeks of the campaign, putting him at odds with Khan over his warnings the expansion had been brought in too quickly.
A Labour spokesperson said: “This was always going to be a difficult battle in a seat that has never had a Labour MP and we didn’t even win in 1997.”
No other party secured above three per cent of the vote in Uxbridge – with the ‘No ULEZ’ candidate Leo Phaure achieving just 0.6 per cent, lower than Count Binface (0.61 per cent).