BBC News reporter calls ULEZ protestors ‘conspiracy theorists’

The BBC has been heavily criticised after a presenter claimed a large central London protest against Sadiq Khan’s expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone featured “conspiracy theorists and far-right groups”. A senior minister has accused the BBC of parroting the Mayor’s own partisan attack lines.

Minister for London, Paul Scully, told the Express: “It’s not acceptable for the BBC to be adopting the language of the Mayor who dismisses out of hand anyone who disagrees with him.”

In March, Sadiq Khan claimed Nazis have infiltrated anti-ULEZ protests at a Mayor’s Question Time in Ealing.

Mr Khan claimed opposition to the ULEZ expansion “has been latched on to by anti-vaxxers, by Covid deniers, conspiracy theorists and Nazis.”

Mr Scully, who represents the Greater London constituency of Sutton and Cheam, said the protest was led by those being impacted by the £12.50-a-day fee for non-compliant vehicles, including “the countless small business owners, charities and low-paid workers who will be massively impacted by the whacking great ULEZ charges he’s imposing on them.”

The Minister for London suggested the BBC speaks to ordinary Londoners at the protest.

“Fair reporting by speaking to those affected will show that it’s ordinary Londoners who deserve better.”

Susan Hall AM, leader of the City Hall Conservatives, also warned the BBC to ensure their coverage of ULEZ objections is “evidence-based.”

She said: “I would encourage anyone reporting on the ULEZ expansion to help us ensure the debate is civil, respectful, and evidence-based. Londoners have real, valid concerns about Sadiq Khan’s plans and want to hear the facts.”

Hundreds of Londoners gathered in Trafalgar Square yesterday to demonstrate against the expansion, dressed in high-visibility jackets and holding ‘Free our Streets’ placards.

The protest came after a High Court judgement permitted four London councils to proceed with a legal challenge against the planned expansion by Sadiq Khan.

The challenge will be heard in the high court later this year, and was brought forward by Hillingdon, Bexley, Bromley, Harrow and Surrey County Council.

The high court allowed the challenge to be brought on two grounds: that Mr Khan failed to comply with relevant statutory agreements; and had not consulted on a £110 million scrapple scheme, introduced to help drivers buy new ULEZ-compliant cars.

Responding to the news that a high court challenge had been allowed to progress, Sadiq Khan described the move by Conservative councils as a “waste of taxpayer money”.

He said: “I think it’s important for these Conservative councillors who’ve got concerns… if they want to challenge this in the courts [they] are free to do so – [but] I think it’s a waste of taxpayers’ money.

“I welcome the fact that the vast majority of their grounds have been thrown out of the court. The two minor grounds will be heard by the court in a couple of months and TfL will be robustly defending this case.”

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Over the weekend Boris Johnson, whose Uxbridge constituency will be affected by the expansion, said Sadiq Khan’s motives are nothing to do with air pollution.

He said: “This has nothing to do with improving air quality. It’s all about Khan’s catastrophic mismanagement of TfL finances.

“How can it be right that Khan is able to impose this tax on working people who have been given no say and no opportunity to raise their objections?

“This scheme was never intended for outer London and will impact my constituents and many others. Khan must be stopped.”

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