Tory MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith has said he supports the vandalism of cameras installed in his constituency as part of the ULEZ expansion.
The Ultra Low Emission Zone was expanded to cover the whole of the capital on Tuesday, with drivers whose vehicles do not meet minimum emissions standards charged a £12.50 daily fee.
Following reports of the so-called ‘blade runners’ attacking cameras across London, the former cabinet minister told the Daily Mail: “A lot of people in my constituency have been cementing up the cameras or putting plastic bags over them.
“‘The actions you are seeing show how angry people are at what is being imposed on therm. Sadiq Khan has gerrymandered all the information – people have had enough.”
The former Conservative Party leader said he was ‘happy’ for residents of his Chingford and Woodford Green constituency to vandalise the devices, accusing Sadiq Khan of lying.
His comments follow a wave of destruction throughout the capital, with almost 600 cameras either destroyed, defaced or stolen in the build up to the expansion, according to activists.
The expansion has become a deeply politicised issue, with regular protests against the plan as well as allegations that Khan had deliberately suppressed scientific research.
The Tory MP’s comments are certainly contradictory when we consider his record of being ‘tough on crime’.
Duncan Smith is, after all, the MP who acknowledges the “huge impact” of local crime on their parliamentary website, and the importance of residents feeling “safe in their homes and on the streets”.
In 2019 he hit out at the “absolute morons” who vandalised his constituency office with graffiti.
Reading “Tories out” and “Tory cuts kill”, the former cabinet minister’s office was also vandalised in the run up to the 2008 general election.
However, it’s not just Duncan Smith condoning criminality, with a number of senior London Tories revealed to have been running social media groups that actively celebrate the destruction of ULEZ cameras.
A TfL spokesperson, told the Standard: “Vandalism on our network is unacceptable and all incidents are reported to the police for investigation.
“Criminal damage to Ulez cameras puts the perpetrators at risk of prosecution and life-changing injuries, while simultaneously risking the safety of the public.”
Related: Tories conveniently ignore fact THEY pushed for ULEZ expansion