Sadiq Khan has had to fess up to his disinformation. Tony Devenish asked the Mayor about an inaccurate tweet, first fact-checked by Guido, and offered this response:

“This tweet was based on research published in a well-known and reputable national newspaper. Following further analysis from City Hall’s air quality research team the tweet was deleted. We are committed to ensuring the information we provide Londoners with is as accurate as possible… social media posts are signed off by senior policy and Mayor’s office staff”

Senior policy and Mayor’s office staff should hold higher standards than unquestioningly repeating newspaper claims. The Mayor claims to be committed to the provision of accurate information, and yet the impact of his debunked claim is still on show. A quick Google search reveals a range of unquestioning coverage of the Mayor’s claims, including from Time Out. If Sadiq really wants to tackle London’s pollution, he should start with his own press office.