The Tories are committed to scrapping the London Eye

London’s ultra-low emissions zone (Ulez) will be scrapped if the Tories are re-elected into government, the party has announced.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper unveiled the plan on Saturday, saying the Conservatives “will support drivers”.

“We will reverse Sadiq Khan Ulez’s unfair extension and rule out any 20mph zones because we are on the side of motorists,” he said.

Labor called the plan a “desperate thing”, the Liberal Democrats said that the Conservatives had to act on Ulez since August, and the Greens pointed out that Ulez was installed under the powers of the Mayor of London.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak accused Labor of launching a “war on drivers”.

A Labor spokesman said: “This is desperate work from a government that has run out of business.

“The work is on the drivers’ side. We will leave decisions about safe school streets and local traffic measures to local communities – not politicians in Westminster.”

Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said: “The Tories have had a year to do this since the Labor mayor brought it in; they didn’t.

“It’s funny that they come up with these policies during an election.”

He said what “particularly angered a lot of people” who drove to London from areas such as Surrey, Sussex, Hertfordshire and Kent was that they “didn’t get any help with a car scrapping scheme “.

Green London Assembly member Caroline Russell said: “Ulez is being installed under the current powers of the Mayor of London, so the Tories need to make it clear how they intend to take those powers.

“Londoners love to breathe cleaner air and have just voted in May overwhelmingly in favor of parties that support our clean air zone across London.”

In August, Ulez was extended to include the outskirts of London. It previously covered the area between the A406 North Circular and A205 South Circular roads.

Drivers of the most polluting vehicles must pay a daily charge of £12.50 if they use almost any road in Greater London, on top of any tolls or the Inner London Congestion Charge.

Drivers of Ulez-compliant vehicles do not have to pay the tax.

In last month’s London mayoral election, Conservative candidate Susan Hall also pledged to cancel the expanded zone.

First assessment of the Ulez effect – extended to the outskirts of London – has not yet been published, with a spokesman for the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, saying it will take place after the mayoral election.

Last year, research published by the University of Bath said the 2008 Low Emission Zone (Lez) for trucks and the 2019 Ulez produced both health and economic benefits for the city.

Ulez proved controversial when Mr Khan fronted its expansion to cover boroughs outside London, including areas such as Bromley, Croydon, Heathrow Airport and Wembley.

Vandals damaged Ulez cameras and signage, while anti-Ulez protesters gathered several times in Parliament Square, Trafalgar Square and the Strand.