Support truly
independent journalism
Sadiq Khan has revealed the extent of the threats he received at the height of the protests over his Ulez scheme.
The Mayor of London said he had even received a bullet addressed to him in the mail while protesters turned up outside his house to threaten his wife and daughters.
Mr Khan also revealed that he and his wife Saadiya had received an “Osman warning” from the security services – meaning their lives were potentially at risk but that the authorities did not have enough evidence to make an arrest.
The accounts emerged in a new paperback edition of the politicians memoir, Breathe, which was published this week.
It details the roots of his work to tackle London’s air pollution and the fallout of his expansion of London’s Ultra Low Emissions Zone (Ulez) to every borough in London.
The plan was implemented last August despite protests from Londoners and in the book, Mr Khan admits he didn’t realise “how tough” the scheme’s introduction would be.
He relates how a comment he made about how some anti-Ulez protesters were “joining hands” with the far right sparked outrage during a City Hall event in March 2023.
He was forced to remain in the green room for some time after and later, a group of protesters began turning up at his house, and he said they targeted his wife and daughters.
“For several days, a caravan was chained by my home bearing slogans and artwork that included swastikas. A letter came in the mail, addressed to me, with a bullet inside,” he wrote, according to the Evening Standard.
“On one occasion, Saadiya and I had been issued with an Osman warning: a serious letter and a briefing in person where there is intelligence of a threat to someone’s life, but not enough evidence to justify the police arresting the possible offender.”
The account also details how he was warned the climate-friendly scheme would hurt his chances at the ballot box.
These fears proved largely unfounded as he went on to win a landslide victory against his anti-Ulez Conservative opponent Susan Hall in May’s mayoral election.
He said the win highlighted that climate policies were not a toxic issue, writing: “London truly has sent a message to the world. Talking about the climate and taking bold action is not a political death wish.”
