They say it’s a difficult change of gear when you leave government. Still, it seems Zac Goldsmith has had no problem keeping his foot on the pedal since he resigned last year, after complaining about Rishi Sunak’s ‘apathy’ towards environmental issues.
Today, the former environment minister and eco-champion was temporarily banned from driving after being caught speeding on four separate occasions. Appearing in Westminster Magistrates’ Court, Goldsmith pleaded guilty to the four counts of speeding in Chelsea, Paddington and Twickenham between April and August last year.
In April, he was caught doing 29 in a 20 zone on Chelsea Embankment. In July, he was 8 mph over the limit in Kensington. And in May and August, he broke the 40 mph limit on one street in Twickenham on two separate occasions.
As a result the Judge decreed that the, errr, petrol head, will not be able to drive his hybrid electric Volkswagen Golf until March, when he will be sentenced. Goldsmith also faces three other driving-related offences.
The ban is certainly a fall from grace for Goldsmith. Mr S is also quite surprised that the former MP and mayoral candidate didn’t take the 20 mph limits more seriously. Back in 2018, when the London borough of Richmond launched a consultation to impose a borough-wide 20 mph speed limit, Goldsmith was one of the champions of the scheme, signing an open letter which extolled the positive benefits the restrictive measure would have, and suggested that it would encourage more people to cycle instead of driving.
Presumably that was meant for the plebs though, rather than the eco great and good…
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