To think Sadiq Khan is a hypocrite?

[Newyeargrinch]

He's been banging on about climate change and the environment all year and introduced the ULEZ scheme which he claims will clean up London's air (while also causing financial hardship to those who can least afford it in a cost of living crisis). Then he spends millions on a fireworks display sending pollutants into the skies above London??

Empirical evidence.

I'm in West London and there are fewer foxes and fewer squirrels around. The woodpeckers have gone. The variety of birds in my garden has declined.

But I'll add a declining fox population to the list of things cyclists are supposedly to blame for.

You can also add Saddiq Khan and greedy developers to that.

That is anecdote, not empirical evidence.

I saw three foxes this morning in east London. I don't suggest that is evidence their population is growing either.

Declining bird populations is a horrific national phenomenon and one that doesn't get enough attention but it's not exclusive to London since Khan became mayor.

Thanks for your replies.

I've always voted Labour and voted for Sadiq as Mayor. However, I've become disillusioned with Labour for a number of reasons and am seriously unsure if I can vote for them in the next election, although I accept that the Tories are far worse and could've stopped ULEZ if they'd wanted. I like the fireworks and would be sad if they didn't have them and agree that any negative effect on air pollution is negligible, as is the benefit to air pollution in outer London from the ULEZ expansion which is nothing more than a cash grab. The number of people affected by ULEZ is relatively small but it affects the poorest members of society. I've seen first hand the devastation and hardship it can cause - the scrappege scheme is not fit for purpose as, even if you manage to get the full 2k, no way can you get a half decent compliant car for that, especially as ULEZ has caused the prices of such cars to soar.

If it wasn't for SK being so vocal about his passion for addressing climate change (such as that book) and the self promotion in the display itself, then perhaps it wouldn't seem so hypocritical. I've never felt so politically lost tbh.

I don’t really care what you have seen today.

I have been observing my local foxes and squirrels for over 20 years.

This.

Exactly. People just love to slag him off whatever he does because they hate having a slightly left wing Muslim as London mayor.

I'm not surprised there's a declining bird population. They keep chopping trees down in our area. Local parks and all along a dual carriageway. They must've been home to lots of birds and insects.

As for foxes, I actually hate them because theyre all over the place here in ne London area. They poo everywhere and it drives us mad.

We have lots of birds too. I put a feeder out and we get all sorts.

Really ? In that case I stand corrected. Always assumed they were free.

London isn't the only place that's happening. Bring it up on here and you'll be called a racist and xenophobic for being concerned about our rising population and the amount of housing we now need.

It is possible to walk from central London to Notting Hill Gate, through St James's Park, into Green Park, cross into Hyde Park onward into Kensington Gardens. Lots of birds, trees, squirrels. And not a Sadiq Khan in sight. It's a very nice walk. And it's free.

I am baffled why Londoners keep electing him.

Well you'll understand when you study the alternative.

I felt the same when Johnson kept getting elected🤷‍♀️

Me too.

Have a word with yourself. Central London to Nothing Hill Gate, where the most expensive properties are. I'm sure it's all green and lovely.

What about the rest of London? Hounslow, Acton, Tower Hamlets? Peckham? Do the rest of us not deserve trees, parks, birds and squirrels?

There will always be a fireworks display in London on nye whoever is in charge. Surely its better to do something about air quality / climate change than nothing. Also the emissions from the display will be insignificant.

I thought this thread was about clean air and lack of green space and Mr Khan forcing us to breathe clean air, the beast. Hounslow has Hounslow Heath, Bedfont Lakes, Osterley Park, Crane River Park, Syon Park, Kew just across the Thames, all overflowing with trees birds squirrels, foxes etc. Acton similarly has lots of green spaces. I don't know the East side, maybe it is the concrete jungle you believe it is. Bloody Khan. Building. In a city and trying to clean up the air. Terrible.

Have you seen the thousands of new builds in there? Have you driven from Heathrow to Central London recently?

Not a postage stamp of green space in between the tens of thousands of new flats.

But he is planting trees.

Apparently.

When you allow building as much as he does, then you have to plan for parks and green spaces.

The Mayor doesn’t.

He slapped the ULEZ, which is sll
abour the money. If the objective was clean air, then he would have insisted on new parks and green spaces to match the ones we have until now.

Have you seen the thousands of new builds in there? Have you driven from Heathrow to Central London recently?

But we need more flats and houses, there are not enough being built. They have to be built somewhere.

And actually, with the high density of building we need more parks than we’re planned for in the past.

Instead we’re building future slums.

Hermione - so you don't live in london but from outside looking in you are baffled by londoners choices, but not experiencing their lifestyle yourself?

Do we?

Or do they just serve the greed of the planners and investors?

Hypocrite yes. Worse Mayor of London definitely. I am more worry about the stabbings tbh.