Sadiq Khan has been accused of "running scared of scrutiny" by deciding to conduct his next Mayoral People's Question Time session online.
Residents across the capital usually have the chance to grill the Mayor of London in-person at the event.
However, City Hall announced the next session will instead be conducted virtually.
The next People's Question Time session was scheduled for February 29, just 63 days before the upcoming mayoral election.
Sadiq Khan will attend the next People's Question Time remotely
GETTY
Conservative Assembly Members have been left fuming over Khan's decision not to attend the event in-person.
Neil Garratt, City Hall Conservatives leader, said: “Sadiq Khan is running scared of scrutiny.
"Twice in January he announced policies straight after London Assembly meetings because he knew his half-baked plans would not stand up to our questioning.
"Now he’s dodging Londoners’ questions as well, banning the people from People’s Question Time so he can hide online.
"Every other Mayor has attended People’s Question Time in person. Sadiq Khan is afraid to face Londoners and he’s afraid to face scrutiny.”
However, February 29 will not be the first time a People's Question Time second has taken place remotely.
The event was conducted virtually on three occasions during the coronavirus pandemic.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Residents from across London can grill the Mayor at People's Question Time
LONDON ASSEMBLY
Andrew Boff, who chairs the London Assembly, also voiced concern with Khan's decision.
He said: “People's Question Time is an important opportunity for Londoners to put their questions to the Mayor and the London Assembly.
"Londoners have been able to attend this event twice yearly for the past 24 years.
"The London Assembly has a clear view that it should continue in its current form until a proper review can take place.
"The Mayor's unilateral decision to scrap the in-person People’s Question Time planned for Richmond in February goes against the Assembly’s representations that to go online now, at the very end of this term, would send a damaging signal to our constituents about our commitment to direct engagement.
"Our preference is for an in person People’s Question Time in Richmond, with the local constituency member in the Chair."
Ulez remains a divisive issue, particular among residents in the capital's outer boroughs
GETTY
A letter seen by GB News shows a City Hall external relations officer explaining why Khan decided not to attend the event in-person.
It claimed: "People’s Question Time is a hugely important opportunity to engage directly with Londoners.
"We want to make sure that the intention and purpose of this statutory meeting remains such that the electorate and elected members can discuss and debate various positions on topics in a safe environment.
"Unfortunately, the unacceptable and threatening behaviour experienced at the last PQT meeting prevented this, putting the safety of all those involved in delivering or participating, including the audience, at risk – both inside and outside the venue, as demonstrated by the racist abuse directed at a member of GLA staff."
Despite the event taking place virtually, the letter also revealed that local constituency member Nick Rogers will chair the meeting.
A City Hall spokesman added: “People’s Question Time is a key opportunity for Londoners to engage directly with the mayor and London Assembly members to discuss the issues they care about in a safe environment.
Sadiq Khan reacts to getting heckled in City Hall
LONDON ASSEMBLY
“Unacceptable behaviour at the last PQT meeting disrupted the event and put the safety of all those attending and staffing the event at risk.
“The decision has therefore been taken to host February’s PQT online, allowing the event to go ahead safely so that Londoners can pose their questions to the mayor and assembly members.”
Khan's last outing at People's Question Time descended into chaos as anti-Ulez protesters consistently heckled the Mayor.
Members of the audience heckled "get Khan out" as others complained the Mayor had failed to answer their questions.
A man was forcibly removed from the building after the meeting ended.
The Metropolitan Police later confirmed that a 50-year-old man was given a penalty notice for disorder after he stuck an offensive sticker on a glass window “causing harassment, alarm and distress” as he left City Hall.
The rhetoric against Sadiq Khan has ramped up in recent months
GETTY
The most recent People's Question Time was scheduled to take place in Westminster but was moved to City Hall due to security concerns.
A review to consider how to manage future sessions is due to be held in the early summer.
Richmond could have also sparked an anti-Ulez backlash from after it was revealed there was an enormous spike in fines dished out after Khan's expansion was introduced in August last year.
The number of Ulez fines in Richmond totalled just 465 in the six weeks before the expansion but soared to 1,194 in the following six weeks.
However, there are growing concerns about the safety of British politicians.
Tory MP Mike Freer is standing down at the next general election following an arson attack
PA
Mike Freer yesterday announced he will stand down as the MP for Finchley & Golders Green at the next general election after the pro-Israel politician had his constituency office targeted in an arson attack in December.
MPs have even been killed in recent years, with Labour's Jo Cox being shot and stabbed by a white supremacist in 2016.
Tory MP Sir David Amess was also stabbed to death at a constituency surgery meeting by an Islamic extremist in 2021.
Labour MPs were recently offered increased security after facing direct threats from constituents over Sir Keir Starmer's stance on the Israel-Hamas war.
The Leader of the Opposition and Conservative Housing Secretary Michael Gove have been among those directly confronted by pro-Palestine protesters in recent weeks.
