The Newshound

James Cleverly vows to scrap London's 'back door taxes' in mayoral bid targeting ULEZ and congestion charges

From the Newshound archive · first published 10 October 2026.

Former Home Secretary James Cleverly has pledged to review every charge the Greater London Authority imposes on Londoners if he wins the 2028 mayoral race. His campaign will target motorists hit by the Congestion Charge, TfL fare rises and the ULEZ fee, which he brands "back door taxes" on ordinary Londoners. Cleverly, the frontrunner for the Conservative mayoral candidacy, says he will also take aim at levies on homeowners and inflated costs on new-build properties.

ULEZ expansion cost Sadiq Khan votes in 2024, with the 2023 Uxbridge by-election defeat widely blamed on the policy.

Separately, Crime novelist Ian Rankin branded London a 'two-tier city for the wealthy and cosseted', reflecting wider anger at the capital's growing inequality.

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