Sadiq Khan ridiculed as town to burn giant effigy at Bonfire Night in ULEZ fury
Sadiq Khan has been unveiled as the effigy for a Kent town’s famous Bonfire Night celebrations over fury at his ULEZ expansion.
An 11-metre figure of the Labour Mayor of London will be lit at the Edenbridge Bonfire Night on Saturday.
Mr Khan was chosen by the public over other contenders including Home Secretary Suella Braverman, comedian Russell Brand, former This Morning presenter Phillip Schofield, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Edenbridge Bonfire Society chairman, Bill Cummings, said: “This year we have chosen Sadiq Khan whose decision to extend the ULEZ has affected many people living and working in our town.
“Unlike those living inside the new extended zone, there is no support for people who live outside it but whose livelihoods and commitments have been greatly affected by this decision.
“Sadiq Khan may not be as well-known as other celebrity guys we have had in the past but I am sure there will be many people in towns such as ours celebrating our choice.”
Edenbridge Bonfire Society has poked fun at celebrities for 25 years at its annual bonfire celebration, which raises thousands of pounds for local charities and community groups.
Previous public figures put up for ridicule include ex-PMs Liz Truss and Boris Johnson, former US president Donald Trump, disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein and Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.
Andrea Deans, who created the effigy on behalf of Edenbridge Bonfire Society, added: “As a society we had hoped to move away from political figures this year but it was the public who had their say on who we should do.
“Mr Khan received more than 52 percent of the public vote and it was due to his decision to extend ULEZ close to the borders of our town that we felt we had to go along with the majority vote.”
The effigy shows Mr Khan with his head as a ULEZ camera, while he is holding a ULEZ road sign.
Nearly 10,000 people are expected to travel from London, Surrey, Kent and Sussex to attend the event.
Mr Khan’s effigy will be paraded through Edenbridge High Street in a torch-lit carnival procession involving 550 people.
The Labour politician sparked a backlash over his decision to expand the ULEZ, which previously only covered central London, to the whole of the capital in August.
It means more drivers are being forced to pay the £12.50 daily fee for the most polluting vehicles in a bid to boost air quality.
The enlarged zone is around nine miles from the Kent town of Edenbridge.
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