Broke Sadiq Khan won’t stop fleecing taxpayers

Another day, another cretinous move by Sadiq Khan to pocket your hard-earned money. Still reeling from the backlash over his proposed extension of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez), the London mayor has been plunged into a fresh row after blocking a scheme to provide more lavatories at Transport for London (TFL) stations. His London Assembly Labour Group rejected an amendment tabled by the Green party to divert £20million into building new toilets on the Tube and Overground.

As someone who commutes on the Metropolitan line – which at just over 40 miles is the third longest Underground track – I know all too well how easy it is to be caught short on your journey in and out of London.

Lavatories on public transport aren’t a luxury; they’re a necessity. But because Mr Khan has squandered taxpayers’ money (and faces a government less keen to contribute billions of pounds of state aid to keep TFL out of bankruptcy), he now claims he can’t afford basic amenities.

This is despite his Ulez expansion scheme being budgeted to receive £200million in income in its first 12 months by charging 200,000 more Londoners £12.50 to drive in and out of the capital. An analysis by The Daily Telegraph this week found that teachers and nurses could have their pay rises cancelled out by the daily charge, which also adversely affects builders, electricians, plumbers and presumably anyone else with too much gear to take the train.

It would mark yet another authoritarian encroachment on our roads, with cameras hanging off posts to track your entry and exit – a virtual city gate, just without the glamour.

Mr Khan claims to be acting on behalf of the “silent majority” of Londoners who want clean air, as if he is the only person to care about the issue. I would wager there is an even bigger “silent majority” who consider him a woke opportunist with skewed priorities.