Mayor of London Sadiq Khan backs scheme to send 4x4s to Ukraine in apparent major U-turn
The Mayor of London has pledged his support to send 4x4s to Ukraine that would otherwise be scrapped under the city’s ULEZ scheme.
Sadiq Khan had previously blocked cars that were not ULEZ compliant from being sent to the country, saying he did not believe altering the environmental scheme for exports was possible under current laws.
But now, Mr Khan has asked Transport Secretary Mark Harper to allow Londoners – and others across the UK – to donate suitable vehicles to Ukraine through scrappage schemes.
Under the scheme’s plan, which came into force in August, Londoners with vehicles that fall foul of emission standards can claim up to £2,000 when their non-compliant vehicles are scrapped.
In a letter, jointly sent to Mr Harper by Mr Khan and former defence secretary Ben Wallace, ministers are urged to give motorists “money for taking polluting vehicles off our cities’ streets while providing vital support towards the people of Ukraine”.
“We understand there is a particular requirement for 4×4 vehicles, as well as emergency service vehicles,” it says.
Mr Khan and Mr Wallace said they had reached their conclusion following “conversations with the mayor’s office in Kyiv and other partners.”
It was previously reported by The Telegraph that Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, had written to his London counterpart to suggest the idea as part of the ULEZ scrappage scheme.
“This could be most quickly done by altering the national regulations for the Certificate of Destruction, which is required as proof that a vehicle has been permanently scrapped, to instead enable the export of suitable vehicles to Ukraine via a registered charity or national scheme,” the letter said.
“We recognise that any such change would need cross-departmental co-ordination within government, not least to ensure that any vehicles sent to Ukraine meet their needs.”
Mr Harper has since responded, saying Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove has written to the mayor “seeking clarity from you on precisely what legal barriers you believe you face”.
He added in the letter that once the further information has been provided, his officials will “of course be ready to support in identifying options to resolve this matter”.
The conviction of Tornado Cash developer Alexey Pertsev reinforces a very broad interpretation of criminal liability, which has major repercussions for blockchain.
The defence secretary has said he is “angry inside” over the infected blood scandal ahead of a long-waited report into the decades-long injustice.
Grant Shapps told Sky News he agreed it had been one of the most “shameful failures” of government and said he was dismayed by the “lack of anybody taking responsibility”.
The findings of a public inquiry into the scandal, chaired by Sir Brian Langstaff, are due to be published on Monday.
From 1970 to the 1990s, tens of thousands of people were infected with contaminated blood through blood products or blood transfusions given via the NHS. People were infected with hepatitis or HIV – in some cases with both.
An estimated 3,000 people died as a result.
Politics latest: West in an ‘existential battle’ over world order, Shapps warns
Mr Shapps told Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips that the scandal was a “massive injustice which needs to be put right” and said the government would act on the report.
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Thousands of people died after being given infected blood
He said that while he was yet to see the report, he hoped it would finally allow families’ pain and loss to be acknowledged and for the government to properly respond.
Mr Shapps said he had spoken to relatives of several victims, including a couple who had lost their son, and said their stories made feel him “angry inside”.
He added: “It just made me angry to know they had lost their son without anyone ever taking responsibility, so I think this is why this report tomorrow is very important.”
Successive governments have been blamed for failing to take responsibility and the current government has been accused of trying to delay compensation to victims after an inquiry was first set up by Theresa May in 2017.
It is estimated that the compensation bill could now exceed £10m.
The defence secretary admitted the process of delivering payouts to victims had gone on for “so long”.
He added: “This is a massive injustice which needs to be put right.
“And I know the government said we will. The report tomorrow, I think, will be the day for that family and others and I know the government will want to respond quickly.”
Asked whether Prime Minister Rishi Sunak would apologise to the victims, Mr Shapps said: “I don’t want to mislead because I don’t have special insight into that.”
Read more:
Boy, 7, was used in secret blood trials, parents say
Doctor’s horror over scandal
Blood donations ‘collected from UK prisons’
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Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting also told Trevor Phillips that he expected “successive governments” to be criticised in the report by Sir Brian.
“Everyone has got their responsibility to bear in this appalling scandal and we have got a shared responsibility to put it right,” he said.
“The moment to act can’t come soon enough.”
Sir Brian is due to deliver his final report just after midday on Monday.
This move follows a recent crackdown that involved confiscating 2,000 cryptocurrency mining devices as part of an anti-corruption initiative.
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