While ordinary Londoners worry about the cost impact of Sadiq’s expansion of the ULEZ zone, City Hall officials blew over £7,000 on a party to celebrate the policy. Guido first heard about the event when climate protestors, including Piers Corbyn, gatecrashed the fizz-fueled event. A subsequent FoI reveals that while the event wasn’t funded by taxpayers, it was funded via prize money awarded to the capital by the WRI Ross Centre for Sustainable Cities – prize money the Mayor authorised for “a number of special air quality, climate change and/or environmental inequalities projects”. Guido’s not sure how a champagne soirée for public officials falls within any of those categories…

The total cost of the event came to £7,310, with 180 attendees invited. The Mayor’s office claims it was:

“A chance to thank [staff involved in the ULEZ rollout] for their tireless work in helping to clean up London’s air”

£7,310 being enough to pay for a non ULEZ- compliant car to enter the zone every day for 265 days…