ULEZ expansion: London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Martin Lewis row

Consumer concern adept Martin Lewis has told an lawsuit successful London the planned timing of a clear-air portion enlargement successful the superior "is beauteous tough".

He was asked to articulation London Mayor Sadiq Khan astatine the event, aimed astatine addressing fiscal pressures faced by Londoners.

Mr Lewis pointed retired poorer drivers would beryllium deed much by the widening of the Ultra Low Emission Zone.

Mr Khan responded to Mr Lewis, saying: "What is the close fig of radical to dice a twelvemonth to marque it acceptable?"

One aggravated attendee walked retired of the lawsuit astatine City Hall arsenic the arguable contented was discussed.

The mayor's flagship clean-air argumentation has been met with absorption from a fig of London councils.

Responding to a question connected the timing of ULEZ, Mr Lewis said: "If I whitethorn beryllium honest, the reasons down that are good, but the timing is beauteous pugnacious to bash it this twelvemonth amongst a cost-of-living crisis.

"For the 6% who person cars pre-2005 petrol oregon pre-2015 diesel, they volition thin to beryllium not the wealthiest due to the fact that they haven't upgraded their car successful that time."

Mr Khan responded: "When is the close time? I was told successful 2017 that it wasn't the close clip due to the fact that of concerns astir Brexit."

Following this remark, an assemblage subordinate began shouting astatine Mr Khan implicit his plans earlier walking retired and calling him "a con man".

After the event, Angie Donnelley, 58, from Dagenham, told the BBC she had besides been readying to heckle the politician arsenic "so galore radical can't spend the caller vehicles - they can't spend to adjacent unrecorded oregon formal themselves".

She added: "There are radical who privation to spell and sojourn their loved ones' graves, and they person to wage £12.50. It's disgusting.

"How tin 1 antheral dictate to Essex what to bash erstwhile we aren't adjacent successful London?" (Although Dagenham has been a portion of Greater London since 1965, immoderate radical inactive respect it arsenic being successful Essex.)

Although astir London boroughs person signed an statement with Transport for London (TfL) allowing them to instal the ULEZ cameras, galore inactive person reservations.

A full of 11 outer London councils person expressed concerns implicit the expansion, with galore asking the politician to hold oregon amended the scrappage strategy to enactment radical during the cost-of-living crisis.

The councils said they would not motion the statement and person alternatively launched the archetypal measurement of ineligible action.

In their pre-action protocol missive to the politician and TfL, they cited 4 grounds for deeming the strategy "unlawful", including the deficiency of consultation with radical surviving extracurricular of London.

In its effect to the boroughs' ineligible letter, TfL rejected each of the claims, insisting the determination to spell up was "properly reasoned and rational, and the consultation was fair, with each responses conscientiously considered".

New City Hall polling from YouGov revealed that 17% of Londoners are financially struggling to marque ends conscionable and are going without essentials oregon relying connected debt.

Half of Londoners bought cheaper products to agelong their funds, and 45% said they utilized little water, substance oregon vigor to effort to support bills down.