Government fails in bid to delay air pollution plan

The UK government has had their court bid rejected which called for a delay in the publication of its air pollution strategy.

The publication must now be released before the snap election in June.

Courts had originally given the government until 24 April to set out draft guidelines regarding tackling illegal levels of NO2.

Last week ministers lodged an application to delay the release until after the general election, arguing that it was against election purdah rules.

However, the High Court has since ordered the draft plans to be published on 9 May, which is five days after the local elections but well before the general elections.

If the government were to appeal the ruling, it could delay the publication regardless.

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, commented on the ruling: “I am pleased that the government will now have to face its responsibilities sooner rather than later.

“Ministers were dragged kicking and screaming to face the huge scale of this health crisis, but rather than take immediate action to protect the public they deliberately used the election as a smokescreen to hold back their plan.”