Sadiq Khan lashes out at Boris Johnson over Ulez telling ex-PM he'll take 'no lectures' on how to run London

Boris Johnson’s criticism of the planned expansion of London’s ultra-low emissions zone has been met with a frosty response from London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who says he will “take no lectures”.

The ULEZ expansion is set to result in the zone covering the whole of the capital from August 29 in a bid to boost air quality, with vehicles not meeting minimum standards being slapped with a £12.50 daily fee.

Ex-Prime Minister Boris Johnson took to Twitter to accuse Khan of attempting to “rake in money” from motorists in the scheme.

The London mayor responded by saying he will take “no lectures” from his predecessor.

In a video, Johnson urged people to oppose Khan’s “mad expansion plan” which dubbed a “lefty tax on people’s lives and livelihoods”.

Khan added: “He’s also the mayor who knew about nine-year-old Ella (Adoo-Kissi-Debrah), 10 years ago, losing her life and took no action.”

The nine-year-old girl died in 2013 after exposure to London’s traffic emissions brought on an asthma attack.

Her death resulted in her becoming the first person to have air pollution listed as a cause of death in a landmark coroner’s case.

The mayor hit out at Boris Johnson’s track record, saying: “He’s also the mayor who, when he became the prime minister, penalised London when it came to the deal with TfL (Transport for London).

The ULEZ expansion has sparked controversy
Image: PA

“So we’ll take no lectures from a former prime minister, the former mayor, who ignored the science and ignored the facts.”

Earlier this month, leaders of Bexley, Bromley, Harrow and Hillingdon councils were criticised by Khan for their potential legal challenge to the ULEZ expansion, saying it is “wholly without merit and misconceived”.

Khan spoke of wanting to be on the “right side of history” as he dismissed opposition from local authorities.

Asked about some Labour MPs also criticising the plan, he said: “Evidence that this policy is not about party politics is the fact that it’s got some people are opposing it from the Labour Party as well as the Conservative party.

“It’s really important to recognise that actually, the evidence is unequivocal.”

The London mayor says scientific facts justify his move to expand Ulez
Victoria Jones

The scheme is set to result in Outer London being covered by ULEZ, meaning millions more will have to comply with the standards for vehicles.

Ex-London mayor Boris Johnson said: “You do not need an outer London emission zone - it’s inter London that has the emission problem.

“You don’t need an ultra-low emission zone for the whole of London in the way Sadiq Khan is imposing one because by 2030 all new cars in this country are going to be much cleaner and greener anyway.

“There’s only one reason why he’s doing it and that’s because he has bankrupted TfL by his mismanagement of the finances of London, and he wants to rake in money from motorists in Outer London and beyond in a way that is completely unreasonable and unnecessary for air quality.

“So stop Khan’s mad ULEZ expansion plan, fight the outer London ULEZ, fight his plans to take money off hard-pressed motorists at a very, very difficult time, and stop this mad lefty tax on people’s lives and livelihoods.”