Sadiq Khan has savagely responded to Robert Jenrick’s viral video where he filmed fare dodgers on the London Underground.
While accepting fare evasion is an issue, the mayor of London reminded the shadow justice secretary of the “consequences of the cuts in policing and TfL made by his government”.
He also mocked Jenrick, suggesting he was an attention seeker for publishing the video, which has gained nearly 15 million views on X.
Talking to Times Radio, Khan said: “Fare evasion is an issue. It’s an issue for London, has been for some time and that’s one of the reasons why we’ve invested hugely in terms of not just enforcement officers, not just in terms of body-worn videos, not just in terms of CCTV, but invested in the police as well.
“What I find ironic, and it’s an example of the chutzpah of Mr Ozempic, is that he was in government when the government cut more than a billion pounds from their police budget.
“He was in government when the government removed Transport for London’s operating grant, and now he’s criticising the consequences of the cuts in policing and TfL made by his government.
“Where was he in 2010, 2024 when those cuts were being made in our policing? Where was he in 2015 when the government cut their operating grant to TfL?”
However, London Assembly Tory leader Susan Hall hit back at the mayor for using “childish names”.
She told Guido Fawkes: “It’s relieving to hear Sir Sadiq suddenly discover how devastating police cuts are, considering that up to 1700 officers in London face the chop because he and this disastrous Labour government refuse to make up the gap in police funding.
“Perhaps if the mayor stopped calling a member of the King’s Privy Council childish names and focussed on the issue at hand, we could actually solve antisocial behaviour in the capital.”
In December 2024, The London Economic obtained leaked messages from Robert Jenrick to a far-right X account saying he is a “great admirer” of its content and agrees with it on “what needs to happen”.
Related: Robert Jenrick broke TfL rules in video complaining about Tube fare-dodgers