Jonathan Gullis has launched a petition to ensure that London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s “anti-motorist agenda” does not come to Stoke-on-Trent.
With the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, Angela Rayner, saying on Sky News that ULEZ is “coming to towns and cities across the United Kingdom”, Jonathan has launched a petition to fight back against “Marxist” plans that restrict people’s freedom to use their vehicle as they see fit.
The petition opposes 15 Minute Cities, Low Emissions Zones or Congestion charges in Stoke-on-Trent which Jonathan says would be “catastrophic” for the city. He argues that the unique geographical nature of Stoke-on-Trent, which is composed of six towns and is surrounded by agricultural areas, means that Stokies rely on their vehicle more than most and that therefore anti-motorist policies would have a demonstrable impact on residents and small businesses.
Jonathan also argues that the sharp increase in online sales has seen retail in city centres decline with retailers moving to retail parks away from congestion zones. With hugely exciting levelling up projects like the £17.4 million Town Deal project in Kidsgrove, Jonathan made clear that it would be “counterproductive” to restrict people from using their car.
Given that the petition already has around 200 signatures, Jonathan has written to Councillor Amjid Wazir, Deputy Leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, who has transport under his portfolio, to gauge whether the Council will back his petition and ensure that the city is not exposed to Khan’s “senseless” policies.
Commenting, Jonathan Gullis said:
“This is about giving confidence to motorists in Stoke-on-Trent and the surrounding areas like Kidsgrove and Talke so that access to our city by motor vehicle can never be undermined.
As a proud backer of The Sun’s campaign to end the abuse of motorists, this petition is simply about Stoke-on-Trent City Council ruling out polices that could punish motorists.”