LONDON — Sadiq Khan won re-election as Mayor of London in 2024 with a greater share of the vote than in the previous election, despite controversy surrounding his 2023 expansion of the Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ). The policy charges drivers of vehicles that do not meet specific emissions standards for entering areas across London.
Khan framed the ULEZ expansion as a public health measure rather than a climate initiative, emphasizing its role in addressing air pollution, which has been described as a 'silent killer.' Following the 2023 rollout, protesters tore down and disabled ULEZ enforcement cameras. Opponents of the policy dismissed the air pollution science underpinning it and argued it would raise costs for commuters and small businesses operating in central London.
A poll conducted around the time of the 2024 mayoral election found that voters ranked ULEZ ninth among their list of priorities. Khan responded to criticism by asserting that a 'silent majority' supported the policy but were not vocal online. 'There is a silent majority who aren’t keyboard warriors,' he said in April.
He attributed negative perceptions of the policy to misinformation. 'This new phenomenon… of disinformation, misinformation… gave a vocal minority massive airtime and gave people the impression this was an unpopular policy,' Khan said. He stressed that the policy’s benefits were tangible for Londoners facing health and economic challenges. 'People don’t talk about climate change, climate emergency, environment… What they do know is the young child’s been diagnosed with asthma,' he said. 'What they do know is, in winter, bills keep on going up.'
Khan linked reliance on fossil fuels to the cost of living crisis. 'The reason why we're suffering a cost of living crisis is we're relying upon fossil fuels from overseas,' he said. He also expressed confidence in the public’s support for environmental measures when framed around everyday concerns. 'These policies, green policies, environmental policies, can be popular,' he said. Khan, who serves as co-chair of C40 Cities—a network of cities committed to climate action—completed a decade in office as Mayor of London in May 2026.
No independent assessment of Sadiq Khan’s claims was available.