A meeting where Londoners can pose questions to Sadiq Khan is likely to be rearranged over security concerns that anti-Ulez protestors will hijack it.
The Metropolitan Police advised that the People’s Question Time (PQT), which is meant to take place in November in Westminster, be cancelled.
The first PQT event of the year, held in March, was swamped by protestors to the scheme who gathered outside Ealing Town Hall.
The force has raised concerns about Khan attending the meeting in person, instead suggesting it take place online or be held at east London City Hall.
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However, senior London Assembly members rejected the warnings, saying it is essential for the mayor to be there in person.
Ton Devenish, a Conservative member of the London Assembly, said: “Are the Met Police really saying they can’t protect the Mayor of London when he is in the City of Westminster?”
“We all understand if there is a spike in security concerns or a specific threat, but a move like this just damages democracy.”
Two PQT events a year must be held by law. The meetings are hosted in different boroughs each time so a range of Londoners can have a chance to express their views.
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Khan slammed the protestors who he claimed were “holding hands” with the far-right.
The mayor is currently facing a City Hall standards investigation for his comments.
A spokesperson for the mayor said that the event would go ahead despite the security concerns.
However, they said the event could move location from Westminster.
Some Assembly members believe that the Met has issued this warning so that they could focus their efforts on frontline crime, rather than guarding politicians.
Ulez expanded again at the end of AugustPAMet commissioner Sir Mark Rowley recently implied that he would appear less frequently before the London Assembly as he would now be required to attend the mayor’s new policing board.
Khan’s controversial scheme has been received poorly by many, with people in and around London taking to the streets to protest.
In February, a Ulez protester was removed from nearby a City Hall event where Khan was speaking.
In May, hundreds of angry drivers gathered in Orpington, south London, to protest the Ulez expansion, which came into effect last month.
Drivers now must pay £12.50 a day if they are driving into the city in a non-compliant vehicle.
