Boris Johnson Mocked For Criticising Expansion Of Road Scheme He Set Up

Boris Johnson has been mocked after criticising the expansion of a green road scheme he launched when he was London mayor.

The former prime minister the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) was “an essential measure to help improve air quality” when the capital became the first city in the world to introduce it in 2015.

Under the scheme, drivers with cars which have high carbon emissions have to pay a special charge to continue using their vehicles.

But in his weekly Daily Mail column, Johnson savaged current London mayor Sadiq Khan’s plan to expand it to cover the whole of the city from next month.

The move has come in for severe criticism taxi drivers and other small business owners, as well as those with diesel cars.

Publicising his column on Twitter, Johnson described the ULEZ expansion as “an odious, unjustified tax on driving”.

He said it was “nothing to do with air quality, everything to do with Labour mayor Khan’s bankrupt finances”.

It is all a far cry from what he said eight years ago when ULEZ was initially set up on his watch.

Launching the scheme, Johnson said: “The world’s first Ultra Low Emission Zone is an essential measure to help improve air quality in our city, protect the health of Londoners, and lengthen our lead as the greatest city on earth.

“Together we can ensure everyone who lives, works in, or visits our city has the cleanest possible air to breathe.”

Johnson’s embarrassing U-turn was quickly picked up on Twitter.