'You're a grown man!' Khan humiliated for 'playground' row with London Assembly member

Sadiq Khan

Sadiq Khan has been humiliated after a row with London Assembly member Peter Fortune

PA
Millie Cooke

By Millie Cooke


Published: 14/09/2023

- 12:55

Updated: 14/09/2023

- 14:57

Peter Fortune AM accused the London Mayor of "obfuscating", saying he had returned to the "playground"

Sadiq Khan has been humiliated after a row with London Assembly member Peter Fortune.

Fortune was forced to remind Khan that he is a "grown man" after the Mayor called him "thick" during an explosive back and forth at London Mayor's Questions today.


Speaking to GB News, Fortune accused Khan of "obfuscating", saying he had returned to the "playground".

Fortune and Khan had a back-and-forth over the Mayor's controversial expansion of Ulez, which saw Fortune demand Khan publish a report on the impact of the expanded zone.

Peter Fortune

Fortune accused Khan of "obfuscating", saying he had returned to the "playground".

The mayor said he would do so in the same time frame as was done when Ulez was first introduced.

Pressing him, Fortune said: "So if they're going to follow the last practice or the practice they did last time, it was published two weeks after the first month of implementation, so thats what we can expect".

Khan responded: "That's not what I said."

Fortune pushed back: "You said they're going to follow the practice they did last time. It's exactly what you said.

"And I'm telling you what they did last time and you're saying you didn't say that? It's extraordinary."

Taking a dig at Fortune, Khan said: "It's like being back at sixth form.... better debaters there."

Fortune joked: "Did you talk to handsome and intelligent men at sixth form as well."

In the final excalation of the back and forth, Khan said: : "I mean honestly Chair, for someone who reads a lot, he ain't half thick is he?"

Fortune then said: "That's how I know you're in trouble... When you start getting personal, that's when I know you're in trouble. Remember that you're the Mayor of London and you're a grown man and you should act accordingly".

Khan later apologised to Fortune for the comment, saying: "Can I just apologise unreservedly to Peter Fortune for calling him thick.

“I am really sorry for saying that. I have reflected on that and I shouldn’t have said that. It’s not appropriate for me to have said that, and I’m really sorry – genuinely.”

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But hitting out at the Mayor of London, Fortune told GB News: "Today's session is the latest example that when the Mayor is exposed and unable to explain his failures, he gets personal.

"He obfuscates, he dodges and he blows a lot of hot air.

"When Sadiq Khans dodgy stats are shown for the farce they are, he has nowhere to go but the playground.”

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