00:00 We've had three big by-election results this morning. The question lots of people are asking
00:05 following the results in Uxbridge is will you be reconsidering in any way your plan
00:08 to expand the US under 29 for workers?
00:11 Well, of course I'm disappointed. That history couldn't be made last night. For the first
00:16 time in my lifetime, Uxbridge and Wright stood going at Labour. We've never won it, as long
00:21 as I've been alive. Even in 1997 when Tony Blair won a massive landslide and we didn't
00:26 win it, or the subsequent by-election in 2007 or in 2001 or 2005, clearly disappointed we
00:31 didn't win it. But we had a 7-8% swing to Labour in Uxbridge and Wright a month before
00:36 ULES is expanded there. But disappointed we didn't. We're not quite clear though. I'll
00:42 carry on listening to Londoners in relation to the ULES, but this scheme is really important.
00:47 Why? Because we know every day that there are people dying prematurely, there are children
00:53 with stunted lungs because of air pollution, adults with a host of health issues. So we're
00:57 going to carry on doing what we can to support Londoners, but the reality is that actually
01:02 95% of Londoners who drive a car in inner London have a compliant vehicle. In outer
01:07 London it's around 90%, but clearly we need to make sure that more Londoners with non-compliant
01:12 vehicles have the support they need.
01:14 Was ULES the main reason that you failed to take that seat?
01:19 For others who've had a chance to examine the results to explain...
01:22 I've had a chance to look at the analysis of the results.
01:25 But for some of us that you failed to take that seat, do you not think that ULES was
01:28 the crucial factor there?
01:29 Well look, in May 1997 during the landslide, ULES wasn't an issue the last time I checked.
01:34 It sounds like you don't think ULES was the key factor.
01:36 In May 1997, ULES wasn't an issue.
01:39 And indeed. So Angela Rayner, for example, has been very clear that she thinks ULES was
01:43 the key factor there. Do you think she's wrong about that?
01:46 Well, ULES wasn't an issue in May 1997. That seat wasn't won in May 1997.
01:50 But the question I'm asking is the fact that ULES is being voted out now.
01:53 The Conservatives made it the key plank of their campaign.
01:56 And you seem to be dodging the idea that ULES was the key factor in the fact you didn't take it.
02:01 Listen, ULES is clearly an issue. We can't pretend ULES wasn't an issue in a seat in our London.
02:05 I'm not by any stretch saying...
02:06 Perhaps not the number one issue?
02:08 The point I'm making is actually this seat has never been laboured during my lifetime.
02:13 Context is very important.
02:15 Yeah.
02:17 And so the context is, during my lifetime, we've never won this seat.
02:22 A month before ULES is expanded to outer London, there's a by-election.
02:27 Of course I'm disappointed history wasn't made last time.
02:31 But I'm very keen on listening to people in outer London.
02:34 It's because we are listening. On June 1st we widened the eligibility.
02:39 So more Londoners are eligible for the scrappage schemes.
02:42 It's because we listened. Every family in London who receives child benefit is now eligible for the scrappage schemes.
02:48 It's because we listened. Every small business in London who employs up to 15 people is now eligible to apply for the scrappage schemes.
02:55 It's because we're listening. Every charity in London can now apply for three vehicles, not one.
03:00 It's because we're listening. We've extended the grace period and the exemptions.
03:04 We're going to carry on listening, both up until August 29th, but also thereafter as well.
03:09 Steve Reid, the Labour MP for Croydon North, has said,
03:12 "I think those responsible for that policy, ULES, will need to reflect on what the voters have said and whether there's an opportunity to change."
03:19 So you will be reflecting?
03:21 I've not had a chance to speak to Steve Reid.
03:23 Having heard that?
03:25 Well, let me speak to Steve privately rather than through the media where I've even started.
03:28 You won't be reflecting on what the voters have said to you in this election result?
03:32 We're going to carry on listening. We've been listening since we launched the policy.
03:35 We listened before we launched the policy. We listened, which led to the widening of the eligibility in June.
03:41 From July 31st, it goes go live in relation to applying for support for the scheme.
03:48 Listening isn't much good if there's no change. Will you be widening the scrappage scheme, for example?
03:52 But there has been a change, hasn't there?
03:54 No, but not since the election results.
03:56 Well, there's been the widening of the eligibility of the scrappage scheme.
04:00 But that was just a month ago. They're clearly still not happy with the situation, are they?
04:04 They're still not voting in a Labour MP, despite Selby and Ainslie having a majority twice as big,
04:09 electing a very impressive result as a Labour MP.
04:13 We're going to carry on listening in relation to not just what people in Rysliffe say,
04:17 but across our city, whether it's listening to the experts at Great Ormond Street,
04:22 listening to the experts at the Children's Evening Hospital,
04:24 listening to the experts at the World Health Organisation,
04:27 listening to the experts like Professor Chris Whitty,
04:31 listening to experts across our city, but also listening to people in out of London as well.
04:36 It's really important that the issue of clean air is not seen as a privilege, but seen as a human right.
04:42 Nobody accepts dirty water. Why do they accept dirty air?
04:45 [BLANK_AUDIO]
