Sadiq Khan’s refusal to answer questions is an insult to the public, blasts Susan Hall

Perhaps it would help if there was a law to require him to answer them? Given his record and performance so far, it might mean he actually did.

Last week, Londoners had the penultimate People’s Question Time before hopefully Sadiq Khan is shown the door at the next Mayoral election.

It was a dire performance from him, and the bar was already low. London was reminded once again why we desperately need change.

I’ve faced Sadiq Khan regularly at Mayor’s Question Time and he has always been evasive and slippery when we hold him to account him on his shockingly bad record.

It doesn’t take long in these sessions for him to reach the end of his script and start becoming rude and condescending to members of the Assembly, particularly towards women.

However, when Londoners got their vanishingly rare opportunity to put questions to him directly, his attitude towards members of the public surprised even me.

One of the last questions of the event was about the masked TfL enforcers policing his unfair ULEZ expansion, which Londoners overwhelming rejected in his sham of a consultation.

These masked enforcers are clearly an intimidating presence for residents, especially late at night.

Understandably the questioner raised concerns that they were not wearing their SIA badges, meaning residents cannot tell if they are thugs wanting to steal their possessions, or merely TfL workers wanting to make off with their money.

He had one minute left to answer. He didn’t. He chose instead to sit in silence, smirking as he ran down the clock.

It is hard to think of a more insulting reply to a genuine question from a London resident.

Sadiq Khan has no respect for scrutiny or the people he was elected to serve.

At the previous People’s Question Time, he accused everyone who disagreed with him over his ULEZ expansion of being ‘in coalition with the far-right.’

Many Londoners were upset to have been smeared in this way by the Mayor of London. He is now facing an official investigation for the comments.

We need new leadership in London. Sadiq Khan’s precious ego has been allowed to dictate how the rest of us live our lives for far too long.

He is too proud to admit that he has monumentally failed to lead the police and that his mismanagement has seen a major spike in crime across our city. London is now over 30 percent more violent than it was when he was first elected.

Not even Sir Keir Starmer could make him accept that his ULEZ expansion was going to be a disaster for people on the lowest incomes.

The embarrassment of admitting he was wrong was a greater concern to him than the prospect of families being forced into debt and small businesses being forced to shut down.

When we look at his failures on house building, transport, the nighttime economy and everything else, it all stems back to one central cause. We have a Mayor who cannot ever accept that he is wrong.

Sadiq Khan will never allow himself to be questioned on what has gone wrong on his watch, and so nothing can ever get better - so long as he remains in post.

Next May, Londoners have the chance to vote for change. I have been clear from the beginning of my campaign that I will be direct and honest with Londoners in everything I do.

I have not, and I will not, make promises I cannot keep, and I will embrace scrutiny from the public and the London Assembly.

If things go wrong, I will be honest about it and explain how I will fix it. To do anything less is an insult to the people I wish to serve.

This is how I have approached every challenge in my life, with openness and transparency. Life is much simpler when you don’t have a heavy ego to carry around, and most importantly, things get done.

London needs a Mayor who is brave enough to fix the issues we face and answer the public’s questions. And that is who I am determined to be.

Susan Hall is the Conservative candidate for Mayor of London.