Sadiq Khan lashes out over ULEZ in tense Piers Morgan interview – ‘Grow up’

Sadiq Khan has defended his controversial ULEZ enlargement in a heated change with Piers Morgan this night.

The Mayor of London was taken to activity by the veteran TV presenter on his TalkTV present immediately over the controversial boundary enlargement, which has sparked livid opposition since its implementation final week.

Angry Londoners residing within the metropolis’s outer boroughs have complained about being stung by the £12.50 price for non-compliant vehicles – and have responded by defacing and even toppling infrastructure used to implement the positive.

Mr Khan has lengthy defended the enlargement as a vital evil and did so once more this night.

With the Conservative occasion commonly criticising Sadiq Khan over the coverage, he referred to as on the Government to “grow up” and be part of his trigger as “nobody wins if kids have stunted lungs”.

It comes as earlier this yr, the Tory occasion received a by-election within the Outer London constituency of Uxbridge and South Ruislip – a seat previously held by Boris Johnson earlier than his resignation – throughout a passionate marketing campaign with the ULEZ at its coronary heart.

And Susan Hall, Sadiq Khan’s rival in subsequent yr’s London Mayoral elections, has already began utilizing the enlargement as one in every of her predominant marketing campaign factors to attempt to boot him out of workplace.

Mr Morgan repeatedly pressed the mayor about his coverage on his TalkTV present, Piers Morgan: Uncensored.

The Mayor of London resisted the declare the enlargement was unfair, stating that “a lot of misinformation” has been unfold because it was introduced.

But he additionally sympathised with those that had “genuine anxiety” about being caught in a non-compliant automotive.

He mentioned that “in fact, they won’t be caught”, and added that “nine of 10 cars seen driving are already compliant”, which means they “don’t pay a penny more”.

The mayor said that the primary issue with the policy is that the Government has blown up the outrage and “weaponised this as a difficulty”.

He said: “What the Government is doing is weaponising this as a difficulty and what I’m eager to do is to take heed to the issues individuals have, they usually’re real issues, a lot of them, and attempt to deal with them.

“I say once more, this was a tough resolution, however I feel it is a important one, and the proper one.”

He added: “The reason why the Government isn’t giving London support, they’re giving Birmingham and Bristol and Bath support, is that they think by attacking Londoners, they may do better at the General Election. So, Londoners are pawns caught in this crossfire.

“What I’d say to the government is, ‘Grow up!’ Work with me to support Londoners, whether you’re a family, whether you’re a charity, whether you’re a business, nobody wins if people in London die prematurely. Nobody wins if kids have stunted lungs.”

Polls have discovered that, regardless of long-running campaigns towards ULEZ, a plurality of Londoners have supported the zone, with pollsters Redfield and Wilton having discovered earlier this yr that 58 p.c of 1,100 residents favoured its enlargement.