Campaigner Lucy Facer

CAMPAIGNERS are calling for their MP to “step up” on green policies.

Islington Clean Air Parents say Islington South MP Emily Thornberry should come out and make clear her support for green policies, after comments she made earlier this month about the expansion of Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) and its implementation.

Ms Thornberry told the BBC: “I think it’s the right policy – I suspect it’s the way it’s being done [that is problematic]. And I hope that Sadiq [Khan] will look at it again, I know that we’re asking him to.”

The comments came after Labour lost a by-election by just 495 votes in Uxbridge and South Ruislip and said it was Mr Khan’s expansion of the ULEZ – a charging system for drivers of high-polluting cars – that got in the way of winning Boris Johnson’s old seat. Last week, the High Court ruled that the expansion is legal after five councils brought a case to court, and Mr Khan has said it will go ahead later this month.

Ms Thornberry’s remarks have led campaigners to fear that their MP is going to row back on green policies. Similar comments were made by party leader Sir Keir Starmer and beaten by-election candidate Danny Beales, a councillor in Camden who says the ULEZ expansion is a “bad policy” when people are struggling with other bills already.

Campaigner Lucy Facer said: “Islington Clean Air Parents are asking Emily Thornberry to demonstrate her commitment to clean air by doing several things: we’d like her to publicly support the ULEZ and we’d like her to sign the Clean Air bill that’s going through the House of Commons at the moment. We’d love her to be an advocate for clean air and encourage Islington residents to make changes in the borough.”

Emily Thornberry

The result in Uxbridge and South Ruislip also led to prime minister Rishi Sunak ordering a review of all Low Traffic Neighourhood measures – of which Islington has been one of the biggest users, closing roads across the borough in a bid to cut pollution.

Ms Facer added: “There’s been a 30 per cent increase in children being admitted to the Whittington Hospital with respiratory issues.  My son, Otis, has been admitted to A&E for respiratory problems three or four times since he was 18 months old. Each time it’s scary. I’ve been campaigning for clean air before this, but now, he’s one of those stats and it becomes personal when it’s your family.

“Otis will walk along the road and say, ‘I can smell the fumes, Mummy, it’s making my breathing hard.’”

She added: “I hope that Emily will take action for herself and for all of her constituents. Asthma is one very noticeable effect of air pollution, but there’s all these other chronic illnesses that air pollution creates: heart disease, miscarriages, lung cancer, strokes. Air pollution attacks all of our vital organs in our bodies.

“This shouldn’t be a political issue, because it impacts all people, all walks of life, no matter where your vote goes.

“It needs to be a non-political thing, and by collaborating and working together on this, we’d have a much more robust plan to tackle it, so no matter what party is in government, they have a coalition to work on this.”

The group is encouraging their members, and anyone who is interested, to contact Ms Thornberry and ask for her to stand behind green policies.

Rachael Swynnerton, a co-founder of the group, said: “It’s not time for petty party politics. This issue is much bigger than any of us. We need to look beyond what we think is important right now, because it’s not as important as this.”

The Tribune contacted Ms Thornberry’s office for comment, but was told that she unable to respond and add to her post-by-election comments.