Tory Mayor of London hopeful Susan Hall says a ban on new petrol and diesel cars ‘is not going to happen’

The Conservative candidate facing Sadiq Khan for London mayor has said a government ban on new petrol cars is “not going to happen”.

Susan Hall, who was elected last week as the Conservative candidate for London mayor, yesterday became the latest senior Conservative to pressure Rishi Sunak to lift the 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel cars.

The Government’s target is designed to accelerate the switch to electric vehicles as part of efforts to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030.

But Hall, who will face Khan in the May 2024 election, told the Spectator the proposal was not workable.

She said: ‘I think 2030 is not going to happen. We don’t have charging points, there are many problems. It’s an admirable goal, but I don’t think it will work.

Asked if she would be willing to challenge No 10 over the 2030 target, she added: “Yes. I would speak for Londoners 100 per cent.

‘If you are the mayor of London, you speak for Londoners. Even if it means fighting with the Government (or) anyone else. I would be like a mother. I will fight for my London.’

Ms Hall’s comments come as the Mail calls for a rethink of the 2030 target. Leveling Up Secretary Michael Gove attempted to shut down debate over the timetable this week, saying it was “immovable”.

But a Government source said the Prime Minister was open to reviewing the target, after warning that net zero ambitions must be pursued in a “proportionate and pragmatic way”.

Conservative peer Lord Frost said on Tuesday it was time to move away from high-cost policies designed to stop climate change and focus on cheaper measures that will reduce the impact of events such as flooding.

According to Hall, London voters had expressed discontent with Khan’s plans to expand the Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez).

She said: “On the doorstep I thought the questions would be about Boris (Johnson) but it was all about the expansion of Ulez.”

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “We remain committed to phasing out new petrol and diesel cars by 2030, which will not only reduce emissions but also provide certainty to the industry and put us ahead of our European counterparts.

“We have also invested more than £2 billion to support the switch to electric vehicles, and there are now more than 44,000 public charging devices in the UK, an increase of 38 per cent on last year.”