Sadiq Khan sparks outrage after branding Britons' concerns about Ulez 'far right'
Sadiq Khan has infuriated protesters of his Ulez expansion plan.
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Sadiq Khan has infuriated members of the public by suggesting there is a “far right” element to anti-Ulez protesters.
Speaking at an event in Ealing last night, he also labelled those with concerns Covid deniers, vaccine deniers and Tories.
The Ulez zone, which has faced criticism from Rishi Sunak, will be expanded to cover the whole of London from August 29 in a bid to boost air quality.
Vehicles that do not meet the minimum standards will be charged a £12.50 daily fee.
Rishi Sunak's proposals for a Ulez expansion have faced large opposition.
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On Thursday night Khan was taking part in a People’s Question Time event at Ealing Town Hall.
Khan took questions from the public on the issues facing them but spent much of the evening justifying his Ulez scheme.
A group of people attended to shared their disapproval of the Ulez expansion.
Some of the protesters held signs claiming that the Ulez would result in the “end of free movement”.
Other signs depicted Khan with a swastika and a hammer-and-sickle symbol.
Khan addressed the crowd and suggested they were part of a “far right group”.
He said: “What I find unacceptable is some of those who’ve got legitimate objections joining hands with some of those outside, who are part of a far right group.
“Let’s be frank, let’s call a spade a spade. Some of those outside are part of the far-right. Some are Covid deniers. Some are vaccine-deniers. And some are Tories.”
Sadiq Khan has called on Rishi Sunak to help fund his scrappage scheme
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He continued: “There are people with legitimate concerns. We’re seeking to address those, and we’ll make sure we carry on listening, to make the Ulez a success.”
His outburst was met with outrage from the protesters who responded: ““We are not the far-right - normal people are not the far-right.”
Last week, Khan urged on Sunak to fund a scrappage scheme for the home counties ahead of the planned expansion.
He called on Sunak to match the £110million he has allocated for London’s scrappage scheme.
A Government spokesman said the mayor must “justify his decision” to expand the Ulez.