The majority of people across Castle Point use their cars to get around and I have campaigned against Sadiq Khan's ULEZ expansion which has affected residents who had no say in the policy. The Conservatives' Backing Drivers Bill will reverse the ULEZ expansion and make clear in law that road pricing schemes will never be allowed anywhere in the country.

Rebecca Harris

The Conservatives have announced that if re-elected they will pass a Backing Drivers Bill to protect motorists from Labour-imposed measures.

Since 2010 we have backed drivers by freezing fuel duty and spending billions improving roads – but Labour politicians’ imposition of 20mph speed limits and ULEZ expansion highlights the threats motorists face. That is why the Conservatives will introduce a Backing Drivers Bill – enshrining in law that a Conservative Government will not introduce pay per mile road taxes and will ban mayors and local councils from doing so, reversing Labour’s ULEZ expansion in London and ensuring low traffic neighbourhoods and 20mph zones must have local support.

The Plan:

• Reversing Labour’s ULEZ expansion in London. Sadiq Khan’s ULEZ tax rise impacts thousands of people living in London, as well as many more outside such as those in Castle Point who had no say in his election and who can now no longer afford to get to hospital appointments, or to where they work or study. Our Bill will reverse his unfair and unpopular expansion.

• Confirming that we will never introduce pay per mile road taxes and will ban mayors and local councils from doing so. In London, at the request of Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan, Transport for London are looking at introducing road pricing – which could charge drivers for how far they drive, what car they drive and at what time of day. We believe it is not fair for drivers to be penalised for each journey they take, or for government to dictate how far you can drive – which is why our Bill will guarantee that these schemes cannot be introduced in any part of the country.

• Ruling out blanket Low Traffic Neighbourhoods and 20mph zones, putting local people in control of their areas. Our Bill will require that any new schemes must be subject to a referendum and introduce a ‘right to challenge’ for existing Low Traffic Neighbourhoods and 20mph schemes. This will ensure there is local consent for existing schemes and where it is proven there is not create a duty on local councils to remove them. This includes in Wales where the blanket 20mph speed limits are deeply unpopular.

• Building on our Plan for Drivers, putting motorists’ interests first. Our Plan for Drivers addresses the threats motorists face – restraining the most aggressively anti-driver traffic management measures and taking steps to stop councils profiting from moving traffic enforcement.

Labour have waged a war on motorists in Wales and London and would do the same in Government, taking the country back to square one. In London, Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan’s ULEZ expansion hit 57,000 drivers with £26 million of fines in its first month alone while in Wales, Labour have cost the economy billions by rolling out a blanket 20mph speed limit and refusing to build any new roads

We support devolving power as local as possible – but Labour have repeatedly abused and made cash cows out of drivers. It is clear that we must now go further by devolving power even more, so that local people have a direct say on these measures.