Sadiq Khan has gone into hiding on Ulez. London deserves a Mayor with balls, says Susan Hall

You would have thought Sadiq Khan, who has led this city disastrously for eight long years, would have wanted to face his critics. But no.

He’s gone into hiding, on the run from the public, citing a single protest as the reason why he won't emerge from his lair in City Hall, and face his critics head on.

In a move that's as insulting as it is cowardly, Sadiq Khan has decided to hide away behind the safety of his computer screen.

Twice a year, Sadiq Khan is required by law to face scrutiny from Londoners at People's Question Time.

It is one of the only opportunities that Londoners have to hold him to account for his decisions.

And it is the duty of the Mayor to face the people who pay his wages, who fund his schemes, and to face them honestly.

But for the final event before the election, he has decided to switch it to a new format that means the public won’t be able to be there in person.

His excuse? Audience members booed him over his Ulez expansion policy, and therefore he is concerned about his personal safety. He is a joke.

As you would expect, these events always have a strong security presence and there has never been anything close to a physical threat to the Mayor or Assembly Members.

The only threat he is concerned about is being embarrassed by his mounting unpopularity ahead of the election.

He is terrified that his carefully polished PR and spin may collapse in the harsh light of reality.

Sadiq Khan doesn’t like facing the public for one simple reason – we don’t like him.

It's a slap in the face of democracy and a desperate attempt to mute the voices of those he disagrees with. And it’s yet another smear tactic.

At a People’s Question Time last year, he suggested that anyone opposed to his Ulez expansion was 'in coalition with the far-right.'

Now he’s suggesting that they pose a security threat to him, with no evidence to support this whatsoever. He’s a coward.

When he took some time to write his staggeringly dull book, he said that “Getting to speak with and listen to Londoners of all faiths, ages and backgrounds was invaluable.”

He said it was a way to understand the “beating pulse” of Londoners. Just not when they disagree with you, I suppose?

For eight years, we have been stuck with a Mayor who's lost touch with the city he's meant to serve.

He refuses to face the very people whose lives are being turned upside down by his disastrous Ulez expansion.

And when he does encounter them, he labels them ‘far-right’, or a security threat – no empathy, no understanding – just smear and sneer.

As Mayor my approach will be worlds apart. No hiding behind screens, no dodging the tough questions.

Londoners deserve a Mayor who doesn’t just talk the talk but walks the walk. A Mayor who listens, even when the feedback is tough. Perhaps it’s a bit cheeky to say it, but Londoners need a mayor with balls.

Sadiq Khan's Ulez expansion is wreaking financial havoc on hardworking families and small business owners – and he doesn’t seem to care at all.

Rather than facing the music and answering tough questions, Sadiq Khan prefers the echo chamber of a controlled, online environment. No boos, no difficult questions – his staff, after all, will filter those out. This is further proof that he’s not up for the job.

London needs a Mayor with a backbone, who embraces scrutiny instead of running from it.

I’m ready to be that Mayor – to listen, to lead, and to restore faith in an office that should always stand up for the interests of all Londoners, not just the ones who agree with you.