Labour has scrapped its public support for ULEZ-style clean air zones across the country.
Following the party's national policy forum last month, it has removed a commitment to clean air zones from its draft policy plans, the Telegraph has reported.
The original draft document stated: 'Labour supports the principle of clean air zones and recognises the huge damage to human health caused by air pollution and the damage to our climate caused by carbon emissions from polluting vehicles.
'However, they must be phased in carefully, mindful of the impacts on small businesses and low-paid workers, and should be accompanied with a just transition plan to enable people to switch affordably to low-emission vehicles.'
The statement has been cut from the latest version of its national policy programme.
A Labour source reportedly told The Sunday Telegraph: 'Clean-air zones are Conservative government policy. The Tories are the ones who have pushed councils to introduce them. Labour is not in favour of extra burdens on drivers during a Tory-made cost of living crisis.'
Clean air zones currently operate in a host of cities: Bath, Birmingham Bradford, Bristol, Portsmouth, Sheffield and Tyneside - Newcastle and Gateshead, while plans for a Greater Manchester zone are under review.
Clean air zones were brought in after the UK was widely found to be breaching legal limits for toxic nitrogen dioxide.
The move from Labour is likely designed to head off Conservative attacks ahead of the next general election, with the cost of living set to be the key issue at the ballot box.
A central debate around environmental taxes is the concern that they are often regressive - apply regardless of income and so hit low-income households harder as a percentage of earnings.
Roger Hallam, a co-founder of Extinction Rebellion, argued that the ULEZ was regressive and instead advocated taxing the richest 1% - to aid a move to non-polluting vehicles - and subjecting them to carbon rationing.
