Khan accuses PM of lies and rule breach over fares policy claims
THE LONDON Labour party is considering making a formal complaint to the BBC and the head of the civil service about Boris Johnson’s verbal attack on Sadiq Khan during a Government press conference on coronavirus.
Mr Johnson accused Mr Khan of “blowing” Transport for London’s (TfL) finances through an “irresponsible fares policy” after he had left them in “robust good order”.
The comments – made on Monday at a televised coronavirus press conference at Downing Street – were said during the preelection purdah for the London mayoral election on May 6.
The purdah period places limits on government publicity around the election.
The restrictions, outlined in the Local Government Act 1986, ban government officials from publishing “any material which,
in whole or in part, appears to be designed to affect public support for a political party”.
London Labour said yesterday that Mr Johnson’s comments about Mr Khan breached these regulations and it is considering writing a formal letter of complaint to the BBC and Cabinet Secretary Simon Case, who is also head of the civil service.
Mr Khan is standing for a second term as mayor of London as the Labour candidate. Launching his mayoral manifesto at a play centre in north London, Mr Khan accused the Conservative leader of using his Government platform to “tell lies”.
He told the PA news agency: “If he’s (Boris Johnson) going to use a Government platform to talk politics, he should at least tell the truth.
“It is a fact that when I became mayor the TfL’s deficit was more than £1.5bn.
“I reduced it by more than 71 per cent before the pandemic. But also he increased TfL’s debt by more than £7bn.
“I think it is appropriate for all of us to follow the rules and abide by the rules, and inappropriate for Boris Johnson to yet again break the rules in the way he’s done.
“Firstly, during the purdah period using a Government platform to attack a Labour candidate. But secondly, to tell lies.”