Sara Hall on a local campaign calling on London’s mayoral candidates to back clean air

A clean air campaigner posting some postcards — Young Barnet Clean Air campaigner Anna Hall taking part in the campaign by posting the campaign postcards signed by her and her family – (Credit – Sara Hall)

Barnet Mums for Lungs is taking part in a London-wide campaign asking London mayoral candidates to commit to reducing London’s air pollution if elected.

Across Barnet and beyond postcards are being sent to Sadiq Khan (Labour), Susan Hall (Conservative), Zoe Garbett (Green Party) and Rob Blackie (Liberal Democrats) asking them to commit to meeting interim World Health Organisation air pollution guideline limits by 2030, phasing out diesel and wood burning by 2030, leading on School Superzones and creating a website to access all air quality monitoring and information in one place.

All of London far exceeds World Health Organisation guidelines for air pollution and 250,000 children in London have asthma that is worsened or caused by air pollution.

Frances Buckingham of Barnet Mums for Lungs said: “Despite the amount of progress made on cleaning up London’s air over the last few years, we need London’s next Mayor to go much further if we want children to be truly protected from the lifelong health impacts of air pollution.

“Barnet’s toxic air is of particular concern to us and it is extremely important that the next mayor takes this issue seriously. We need to see action from day one.”

Catherine West MP who is the parliamentary candidate for Hornsey and Friern Barnet said: “Grassroots campaigns like Mums for Lungs are so important in cleaning up London’s air. Too many Londoners suffer from asthma and other lung diseases, more needs to be done to encourage walking, cycling, transport and electric vehicles. Let’s do our bit for better lungs, hearts and the future of our planet.”

The Mayor for Clean Air Campaign is supported by seventeen grassroots groups from across London including Haringey Clean Air Group and Better Streets for Enfield. Locally, members of other groups, like the EmpowerHer Women’s Group in Friern Barnet, are also joining the campaign by sending postcards to the mayoral candidates.

Anyone who would like to take part in the campaign can order the Mums for Lungs postcards free of charge by following this link.

Sara Hall is a member of Barnet Mums for Lungs

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