Robert Jenrick lashes out at Sadiq Khan after confronting Tube fare dodgers: 'Useless'
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The Conservative MP confronted three men who forced their way through ticket barriers at Stratford station in east London
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Robert Jenrick has told GB News he was "fed up" with fare dodging being "out of control" and launched a scathing attack on Sadiq Khan, calling him a "useless mayor" who needs to "stop talking about legalising cannabis" and tackle crime instead.
The comments come after the Conservative MP confronted three men who forced their way through ticket barriers at Stratford station in east London, demanding they explain why they did not pay.
In the viral footage posted on social media, Jenrick asked one fare dodger: "Do you want to go back and pay like everybody else?" before telling another: "But everyone else has to pay."
The Shadow Justice Secretary's clip demonstrates what he described as "out of control" lawbreaking in the capital.
Robert Jenrick's clip confronting fare dodgers has gone viral
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After posting the clip, Jenrick told GB News: "I was just fed up. I thought that fare dodging was out of control, whether it's down in London or across the country.
"No one was doing anything about it, and it was just one small example of a whole series of things that seemed to be chipping away at society right now, whether it's graffiti, annoying people on the tube, playing loud music instead of wearing headphones, and more seriously as well.
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"It's shoplifting, mobile phone theft. It really feels like this stuff is getting worse, that the quality of life of everyone in the country is being diminished as a result, and the authorities have got to step up and do something about it because normal, hardworking people feel like fools.
"They're paying to go on the tube, and then they see somebody just flagrantly breaking the rules like this.
"In London, Sadiq Khan is dong nothing. Useless mayor needs to actually get into gear, stop talking about legalising cannabis, and get out on the streets.
"Tackling knife crime, shoplifting, fare dodging, all the things that are making quality of life so bad for Londoners right now."
One man wearing a black coat and baseball cap told the shadow Cabinet minister to "f*** off", to which Jenrick replied: "You can say f*** off as much as you want".
At one point, he was heard asking a fare dodger: "You what, you're carrying a knife, did you say?"
Jenrick escorted one fare dodger to a group of British Transport Police officers, telling the man: "You're on camera, mate. You're bang to rights."
Later in the video Jenrick pointed to a group of eight police officers in one part of the station, before pointing behind him to a "wide open" ticket barrier.
Robert Jenrick said the situation has gotten "out of control"
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A YouGov poll in December found that more than three-quarters of Londoners who travel at least once a week on the Tube or national rail network have seen fare dodgers over the past year.
In March, Khan increased the penalty for fare dodging from £80 to £100, which he said was working as an "effective deterrent".
In February, the Mayor said that fare evasion on the Transport for London network was "lower than many comparable cities in Europe and North America".
The Transport Salaried Staffs Association, which represents the British Transport Police, condemned Jenrick's actions as "vigilante justice".
Maryam Eslamdoust, the TSSA general secretary, said: "We've long said that fare evasion should be tackled through proper investment in staffing and enforcement and not by MPs playing hero on the commute.
"What we need is a fully funded British Transport Police, more London Underground revenue control teams, and a serious plan to tackle the causes of fare evasion.
"What we don't need are performative interventions laced with bizarre and offensive commentary."
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