'Trashing Britain To Win Votes': Tories Slammed Over London Mayoral Election Attack Ad
The Conservatives have been roasted over a new attack video which paints a bizarre and unrealistic picture of London under Sadiq Khan.
Tory bosses were forced to delete the original version of the advert after it mistakenly included footage of chaos at Penn Station in New York and tried to pass it off as the capital.
But the corrected video has also been condemned online - and humiliatingly community-noted on X (formerly Twitter) over its other glaring inaccuracies.
The black and white film, which is narrated by an American voiceover artist, claims Labour mayor Khan “seized power”, despite the fact that he has twice been elected by voters.
Bizarrely, the short video claims that “squads of Ulez enforcers dressed in black, faces covered in masks” patrol the streets to make sure no one breaks the controversial ultra-low emission zone rules he introduced last year.
It goes on: “Gripped by the tendrils of rising crime, London’s citizens stay inside.”
But the community note below the video says: “Sadiq Khan, mayor of London, did not ‘seize power’, he was elected by voters.
“London also ranks 14th in a list of the world’s safest cities.”
FACT: London under Labour has become a crime capital of the world 🥀 pic.twitter.com/IKoOFHwHvo
— Conservatives (@Conservatives) March 25, 2024
Users of X also condemned - and mocked - the Tory scare tactics.
Veteran journalist Peter Oborne accused the party of “trashing Britain in order to win votes”.
Rishi Sunak's Conservatives are trashing Britain in order to win votes. https://t.co/gsqBJNr6JP
— Peter Oborne (@OborneTweets) March 26, 2024
Made it home without being forced underground by the roaming gangs of masked ULEZ enforcers. Stay safe everyone.
— Robert Hutton (@RobDotHutton) March 25, 2024
I’m away on a trip but I’ve seen the advert about conditions in London, which seem to have deteriorated significantly since yesterday afternoon.
Am I safe to go back this evening?
Will Ulez enforcers get me as I ride my bike back from Euston?
Realise you won’t have been out.— Robert Wright (@RKWinvisibleman) March 26, 2024
I’m absolutely terrified that these two might be masked ULEZ enforcers. #London#VoteTory#Bonkerspic.twitter.com/kqN1lIGl6l
— Damon Evans (@damocrat) March 26, 2024