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I am not going to carry on now at length about the proposals in Newham to charge for residential parking permits, not least because I have already done so here: https://forestgatenorth.com/2020/03/06/why-im-glad-to-pay-money-for-my-parking-permit/
I stand by all the points I made about active travel, social justice, public subsidy, and more. I also think at this point views are so entrenched that no one (certainly in Newham) is really listening. But I will say this, just because I will feel bad if I don’t:
There is never going to be a convenient and easy time to tackle the climate emergency. The things that will make a difference will never be easy, free, simple and universally popular with everyone.
The quotation ‘if not now, when?’ has perhaps never been more apt. If we as Newham councillors are not actually serious about the environment then we should take back our climate emergency declaration, and admit that we are only prepared to utter fine words and not to ...
... do the things that would actually help. Of course charging money on a ‘polluter pays’ principle is imperfect. Of course it does not solve climate change on its own, or magically improve air quality. But it’s one vital tool available to local authorities, and councillors ...
... who are committed to saving the planet, who recognise climate change will impact impoverished people most of all, who believe public subsidy should go towards - oh I don’t know, free school meals? - should vote carefully, with the responsibility for doing right that comes ...
... with our role, and we should vote for a reasonable system of charges. Or not. Or be open that we don’t believe in action to combat climate change. We do believe in subsidising car ownership. Be open about that, take back the climate emergency motion, and be honest.
Or admit, maybe, that even if you personally are concerned (as, my God, any right-minded person would be) about people on low pay, then your energies could much more positively and usefully be expended on extending the £20 uplift to universal credit.
And also admit, that even if you yourself are acting solely out of concern for residents, it must be at the very least v uncomfortable to see that you are working with people who are sometimes accused of only being interested in scuppering the budget and undermining the Mayor.
And that is all I have to say about that.
