Sadiq Khan issues rare praise for Boris Johnson calling him ‘ahead of his time'
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan (left) looks on as former Prime Minister Boris Johnson makes a speech at Paddington station in London
PA
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has issued some rare praise for his predecessor Boris Johnson over his Ulez scheme.
Khan, who won re-election to City Hall in 2021, defended his controversial plan to expand the Ulez area to cover the entirety of the capital.
Despite facing criticism from Conservatives, Khan stressed that Johnson planned to bring in the carbon emissions charge when he was in office between 2008 and 2016.
Khan conceded that Johnson was “ahead of his time” on Ulez even though the pair have agreed on little else.
More of the green ULEZ zone signs will start appearing across London Yui MokWriting for the Telegraph, Mr Khan said: "It is fair to say Boris Johnson and I don’t always agree, but I have to acknowledge that he was ahead of his time when he announced back in 2015 that the Ulez would be implemented in London.
"It was initially due to come into effect in 2020, but given the growing evidence around the dangers of toxic air, I decided to bring this forward and then expand the zone."
Khan admitted that Ulez, which currently only covers parts of Greater London, is a "contentious issue" and its expansion has "weighed heavily on my mind" as residents grapple with the cost-of-living crisis.
But the former Tooting MP insisted that the larger zone has been a "transformational policy" and "more successful than anyone initially thought".
Sadiq Khan's Ulez expansion will come into place on August 29gbnewsKhan added that the "easiest option" would have been to "kick the can down the road".
London’s Labour Mayor and the former Prime Minister found themselves on the debate stage at Wembley on different sides of the Brexit debate ahead of the referendum on EU membership in 2016.
Johnson, who is looking to defend his 7,210 vote majority in Uxbridge & South Ruislip, recently announced he opposes Khan’s Ulez expansion.
The 58-year-old shared posts opposing the measures on social media, with one celebrating news of a High Court comment about a judicial review and another urging Khan to “scrap his Ulez expansion altogether”.
Johnson, who is looking to defend his 7,210 vote majority in Uxbridge & South Ruislip, announced he opposes Khan’s Ulez expansion
PAA High Court Judge last month announced that five Tory-led councils could challenge Khan’s expansion.
The expansion, which is scheduled for August 29, means more Londoners will be forced to cough up the £12.50 daily levy for the most polluting vehicles.
The policy is being expanded as Khan hopes to improve air quality across the capital.
Conservative contenders for the 2024 London Mayoral Election have vowed to scrap the expansion.
Former Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers is also pushing to allow ministers to intervene on decisions made by the London Mayor about transport and air quality.