Mayor of London Sadiq Khan backs cars for Ukraine scheme in apparent U-turn

Mr Khan had previously made it clear he did not believe altering the Ulez scheme for exporting vehicles would be possible.

Mr Khan has written to the Transport Secretary for support (Aaron Chown/PA) (PA Archive)

The Mayor of London has pledged his support to send 4x4s and other vehicles to Ukraine that would otherwise be scrapped under the Ulez scheme.

In an apparent U-turn, Sadiq Khan has asked the Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, to enable Londoners, and others across the country, to donate suitable vehicles to Ukraine through scrappage schemes.

The mayor had previously made it clear he did not believe altering the Ulez scheme for exporting vehicles would be possible under current laws.

Under the Ulez scrappage scheme, which came into force in August, Londoners with vehicles that fall foul of emission standards can claim up to £2,000 when their non-compliant vehicles are scrapped.

The letter, jointly sent to Mr Harper by former defence secretary Ben Wallace, urged him to give motorists “money for taking polluting vehicles off our cities’ streets while providing vital support towards the people of Ukraine.

“We understand there is a particular requirement for 4×4 vehicles, as well as emergency service vehicles,” it continued.

Mr Khan and Mr Wallace said they had reached their conclusion following “conversations with the Mayor’s Office in Kyiv and other partners.”

The Telegraph previously reported Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, had written to his London counterpart to suggest the idea as part of the scrappage scheme.

“This could be most quickly done by altering the national regulations for the Certificate of Destruction, which is required as proof that a vehicle has been permanently scrapped, to instead enable the export of suitable vehicles to Ukraine via a registered charity or national scheme,” the letter said.

“We recognise that any such change would need cross-departmental co-ordination within Government, not least to ensure that any vehicles sent to Ukraine meet their needs.”

Mr Harper responded in a letter saying Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove has written to the mayor “seeking clarity from you on precisely what legal barriers you believe you face”.

He added in the letter that once the further information has been provided his officials will “of course be ready to support in identifying options to resolve this matter”.