ULEZ opponent and Conservative transport lead Nick Rogers to step down from London Assembly

The City Hall Conservatives transport spokesperson and short-lived mayoral hopeful Nick Rogers will be stepping down from the London Assembly next May.

Announcing the news on Twitter, Mr Rogers, who has served as the Assembly Member (AM) for Hounslow, Kingston upon Thames and Richmond upon Thames since May 2021, said he “never expected my career would lead me here and I have enjoyed it immensely”.

A former Met Police special constable and railway worker, Mr Rogers has been a vocal opponent of Sadiq Khan’s planned Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) expansion, describing the decision as “cruel”.

He briefly threw his hat into the ring to become the Conservative’s mayoral candidate ahead of next year’s elections, though stood aside to endorse the Sutton and Cheam MP Paul Scully.

In his tweet, Mr Rogers said he has been active in local politics for 23 years, “more than the whole of my adult life”.

“I have fought four elections, campaigned in countless others, served as a councillor and held multiple voluntary roles within the Conservative Party. I feel it is now time to move on to other endeavours,” he wrote.

“I will always look back on my time on the Assembly as the pinnacle of my 23 year career as a Conservative Party activist. I will of course continue to serve my South West London constituents up to the election and will work to ensure that we hold the seat and that a Conservative is elected Mayor.”

Andrew Boff, a fellow Conservative AM, commented on Mr Rogers’ tweet, saying: “I regret this enormously. You have been an outstanding Assembly Member.”

Neil Garratt, leader of the City Hall Conservatives, said: “Nick has been an integral part of the Conservative group, an outstanding London AM, and a much valued co-host of our Inside City Hall podcast.

“He has diligently served his constituents, standing up against ULEZ and pressuring the mayor to improve our transport system. We are grateful for his impactful contributions over the years and I wish him all the best for the future.”