Green campaigners have moved to counter Porsche’s attempts to overturn the proposed £25 a day congestion charge for vehicles in Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) Band G.
The car giant is seeking a judicial review of the increased charge arguing that it “is illegal for the Mayor to introduce this policy” – a claim disputed by the Mayor who points to the powers granted to him in the reater London Authority Act 1999.
Now Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace and the Alliance Against Urban 4x4s have joined forces to oppose Porsche with their own petition which asks Londoners to back the scheme.
Mayor of London Ken Livingstone said the “initiative by these green organisations is very welcome and shows the strength of opinion on this issue.”
Livingstone is seeking to make the intervention by the German owned carmaker an election issue, commenting: “As Boris Johnson opposes the policy of a £25 gas guzzler charge there is a very straightforward way of deciding on whether it should proceed, which is to vote for or against it on May 1st.”
“A vote for me will be a vote against Porsche’s aim of removing this decision from the hands of Londoners by hightailing off to the courts, as well as a vote for real action against climate change – the biggest threat to our planet’s future. Boris Johnson’s opposition to the CO2 charge on gas guzzlers shows that he and the Conservative party have no solutions to the problems of the 21st Century.”
There been support also from Green Party Mayoral candidate Sian Berry who accused Porsche of a “petulant temper-tantrum” and said its legal action “is ultimately doomed to failure”.
Ms berry said “Their attempt to interfere in our decisions as a city is just insulting; if Londoners don’t want the CO2 Charge, they can vote against it by backing Johnson or Paddick in May. If they do, they’ll
vote for me or Ken Livingstone. We don’t need corporate lawyers making the city’s decisions for us.”
“85% of Londoners support higher charges for gas guzzlers, and I’m asking that majority to refuse to be shouted down by Porsche’s lobbyists. Please join me in signing the Alliance Against Urban 4x4s petition, and teach Porsche that you can’t bully London.”
Links: www.porschejudicialreview.co.uk
www.stopurban4x4s.org.uk/petition_porsche.htm
