Watford’s MP has branded the ULEZ expansion “nothing more than a raid on household budgets” after opening fire on it in Parliament.

Labour Mayor of London Sadiq Khan’s plan to swell the Ultra-Low Emission Zone will come into force next August, despite two-thirds of respondents opposing it during consultation.

It means all motorists who drive anywhere in London, including those crossing from Hertfordshire, will have to stomach a daily £12.50 charge if their vehicle does not meet emissions standards.

The move has sparked a backlash from residents and politicians, including Watford’s Tory MP Dean Russell. After the ULEZ debate in Parliament, he said: “I reiterate mine and my constituents’ objections to the expansion of the ULEZ scheme.

“I am disappointed that Labour, Green and Liberal Democrat London Assembly members backed this unfair expansion, which is nothing more than a raid on household budgets.”

Vehicles vulnerable to the charge include any diesel car or van registered before 2016, and any petrol vehicle registered before 2006. It is estimated that 160,000 cars and 42,000 vans will be affected.

Mr Russell added: “It is not enough for Sadiq Khan to tell people to buy a new car or to use public transport, particularly given that it was his decision to pull the plug on the proposed Met Line extension.

“To keep the country moving we need certainty, but the only thing that is certain is that this scheme will hit businesses and individuals at what is already a challenging time.”

He said fines collected in the first 11 months this year totalled nearly £57 million, according to TfL, with the RAC reportedly estimating fines could generate £260 million annually.

However, Mr Khan argues the expansion will ensure five million Londoners breathe cleaner air, and says it will help tackle congestion and the climate crisis.

He points to toxic air being “a matter of life and death” – and claimed around 4,000 Londoners are dying prematurely each year and 500,000 asthma sufferers are particularly vulnerable.

The ULEZ has already been “hugely successful”, the mayor claims, in helping to reduce roadside pollution levels by 44% in central London and 20% in inner London.