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

The Tory hopeful taking on Sadiq Khan to be Mayor of London has said a government ban on new petrol cars ‘is not going to happen’.

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

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

But Ms Hall, who will face Mr Khan in the May 2024 election, told the Spectator that the proposal was not achievable.

She said: ‘I think 2030 is not going to happen. We haven’t got charging points, there are so many issues. It’s an admirable aim, but I don’t think it will work.’

Ms Hall will face Labour Mayor of London Sadiq Khan (pictured) in the May 2024 election

Asked if she would be prepared to defy No 10 on the 2030 target, she added: ‘Yes. I’d be speaking up for Londoners 100 per cent.

‘If you are the Mayor of London, you speak for Londoners. Even if that means fighting with the Government [or] anybody else. I’d be like a mother. I will fight for my London.’

Ms Hall’s comments come as the Mail calls for a rethink on the 2030 target. Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove tried to shut down debate about 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’.

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

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

She said: ‘Out on the doorstep, I thought the questions would be all around Boris [Johnson] but it was all about the Ulez expansion.’

A Department for Transport spokesman said: ‘We remain committed to phasing out new petrol and diesel cars by 2030, which will not only lower emissions, but also provides certainty to industry and puts 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 over the last year.’

Asked if she would be prepared to defy No 10 on the 2030 target, Ms Hall (pictured with Rishi Sunak) added: ‘Yes. I’d be speaking up for Londoners 100 per cent. ‘If you are the Mayor of London, you speak for Londoners. Even if that means fighting with the Government [or] anybody else. I’d be like a mother. I will fight for my London’