ULEZ

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Khan’s deputy urged scientists to alter study showing emissions scheme had no impact on child health
Emails reveal Shirley Rodrigues asked scientist to 'reword' the study's conclusion that found 'no evidence' of benefits to children’s lungs

By
Sarah Knapton,
SCIENCE EDITOR
22 August 2023 • 10:03pm
Shirley Rodrigues
Shirley Rodrigues complained in her email to Professor Chris Griffiths: 'It reads like Lez or similar have no impact at all' CREDIT: Dominic Lipinski/PA
Sadiq Khan’s deputy urged scientists to alter a Lancet study that showed London’s low emissions zone made no difference to children’s health.

Emails seen by The Telegraph show that Shirley Rodrigues, London’s deputy mayor, asked if Professor Chris Griffiths, of Queen Mary University of London, could “reword” the study’s conclusion that found “no evidence” of health benefits to children’s lungs.

Ms Rodrigues complained: “It reads like Lez (low emissions zones) or similar have no impact at all.”

In the private exchange from November 2018, Prof Griffiths refused the request, replying to Ms Rodrigues: “Apologies - it’s difficult to alter the sentence you refer to as it’s what we set out to look for but didn’t find.”

The study was published unaltered the following day in the respected journal The Lancet Public Health, concluding: “Despite these improvements in air quality, there was no evidence of improvements in the proportion of children with small lungs or asthma symptoms over this period.”

The correspondence comes to light just days after The Telegraph revealed how Mr Khan’s deputy tried to discredit and “silence” Imperial College scientists, who found that the ultra-low emissions zone (Ulez) had little impact on pollution.

Mr Khan is pushing ahead with expansion of Ulez, which will charge motorists in all 32 boroughs £12.50 per day to drive polluting vehicles from August 29.


Cllr Paul Osborn, leader of Harrow Council which is fighting the Ulez expansion, called for Ms Rodrigues to step down and said it was time for the Government to step in or give local authorities the power to block the scheme.

“These further emails show an industrial scale conspiracy with leading scientists to manipulate the debate on the Ulez expansion by inappropriate requests to reword independent scientific reports,” said Cllr Osborn.

“These Orwellian efforts to rewrite the facts mean that Shirley Rodrigues can no longer credibly remain deputy mayor of London, it’s time for her to go.”

London Conservatives described the latest emails as “revealing”, saying they showed ongoing interference into scientific research by the mayor’s office in relation to emissions.

Peter Fortune, the Conservative London Assembly member for Bexley and Bromley, two of the boroughs which are also challenging the Ulez expansion, said: “It is unacceptable that Sadiq Khan’s deputy would tell scientists to downplay findings that are inconvenient for the Mayor.

“Scientific debate needs to be open and transparent, but as these further revelations show, the Mayor’s office has repeatedly sought to interfere and silence dissenting views.

“Both Sadiq Khan and Shirley Rodrigues have a lot of explaining to do.”


The Queen Mary study, carried out in collaboration with Imperial College and King’s College, looked at more than 2,000 primary school children before and after the implementation of London’s Low Emission Zone in 2008, which imposed fines on polluting buses, lorries and coaches.

It found that although air pollution levels had dropped in the five years after the zone was introduced, there was no difference in the prevalence of asthma symptoms or an improvement in lung capacity in children aged eight and nine.

The authors said that interventions that bring larger reductions in emissions “might” yield improvements.

A spokesperson for the Mayor said that the study was referencing the impacts of the initial low emission zone, implemented by Boris Johnson, and did not undermine the effectiveness of Ulez.

“The current Mayor has always said the Lez wasn’t enough on its own to address toxic air, hence the rollout of the Ultra Low Emission Zone which is transforming air in the capital,” the spokesperson added.

“These emails demonstrate that these world-leading scientists who work with the GLA are free to disagree on how information is presented, as they should as independent experts.”

Ms Rodrigues, who leads on environment at the Greater London Authority (GLA), pulled out of planned media appearances this week, with Seb Dance, another deputy mayor, taking her place.

Asked about the original emails, Mr Dance said: “I think it’s quite normal that you would find a level of disagreement among academics on various reports and various findings.”


However, Ben Pile, of the campaign group Together which has been fighting Ulez, warned that thousands of people were having their lives turned upside down by an “anti-scientific and anti-car agenda”.

“Shirley Rodrigues has been caught trying to get scientists to do her political dirty work: silencing critics, preventing debate and fabricating scientific opinion,” said Mr Pile.

“This undermines the value of both institutional science and democratic politics. Scientific claims must be produced by scientists unfettered by ideological agendas, and debated in a transparent and free manner.

“There appears to be a very cosy relationship and a revolving door between all levels of government and the green blob.”

Critics of Ulez argue the scheme penalises those on low incomes who cannot afford to upgrade their vehicles, while allowing richer people to pay to pollute London.

Baroness O’Neill OBE, the lead of Bexley Council, said the emails were another reason that Ulez should be scrapped in outer London.

“The London deputy mayor responsible for environment and energy asking for a Lancet study to be ‘reworded’ to suit the purposes of Ulez is an absolute disgrace,” she said.

“This fits in with the spin the Mayor has been giving out to substantiate his own money making scheme.”

Outer boroughs such as Harrow and Hillingdon, which are fighting the plans, say they do not have the pollution problems of central London, and warn public transport is not good enough to deprive people of their cars.

tmg.video.placeholder.alt UCOEQM5Zo3c
The crackdown on cars has provoked uproar with cameras vandalised and covered with bags.

Councillor Colin Smith, leader of Bromley Council, said the ongoing email revelations were making the positions of Mr Khan and Ms Rodrigues increasingly untenable.

“The dam of public trust has been betrayed spectacularly and the truth is now out in the open for all to see,” he said.

“The weekend’s revelation, followed by today’s news, further serves to prove that Ulez has very little, if anything, to do with health and is nothing less than a barely disguised, socially regressive tax which is now set to destroy businesses, jobs and vital social support networks.

“The Secretary of State, Mr Mark Harper, needs to step in, show firm leadership and take immediate action to stop this nonsense in its tracks now.”

Queen Mary declined to comment on the emails.
 
sgt_wilko said:
Khan’s deputy urged scientists to alter study showing emissions scheme had no impact on child health
Emails reveal Shirley Rodrigues asked scientist to 'reword' the study's conclusion that found 'no evidence' of benefits to children’s lungs

By
Sarah Knapton,
SCIENCE EDITOR
22 August 2023 • 10:03pm
Shirley Rodrigues
Shirley Rodrigues complained in her email to Professor Chris Griffiths: 'It reads like Lez or similar have no impact at all' CREDIT: Dominic Lipinski/PA
Sadiq Khan’s deputy urged scientists to alter a Lancet study that showed London’s low emissions zone made no difference to children’s health.

Emails seen by The Telegraph show that Shirley Rodrigues, London’s deputy mayor, asked if Professor Chris Griffiths, of Queen Mary University of London, could “reword” the study’s conclusion that found “no evidence” of health benefits to children’s lungs.

Ms Rodrigues complained: “It reads like Lez (low emissions zones) or similar have no impact at all.”

In the private exchange from November 2018, Prof Griffiths refused the request, replying to Ms Rodrigues: “Apologies - it’s difficult to alter the sentence you refer to as it’s what we set out to look for but didn’t find.”

The study was published unaltered the following day in the respected journal The Lancet Public Health, concluding: “Despite these improvements in air quality, there was no evidence of improvements in the proportion of children with small lungs or asthma symptoms over this period.”

The correspondence comes to light just days after The Telegraph revealed how Mr Khan’s deputy tried to discredit and “silence” Imperial College scientists, who found that the ultra-low emissions zone (Ulez) had little impact on pollution.

Mr Khan is pushing ahead with expansion of Ulez, which will charge motorists in all 32 boroughs £12.50 per day to drive polluting vehicles from August 29.


Cllr Paul Osborn, leader of Harrow Council which is fighting the Ulez expansion, called for Ms Rodrigues to step down and said it was time for the Government to step in or give local authorities the power to block the scheme.

“These further emails show an industrial scale conspiracy with leading scientists to manipulate the debate on the Ulez expansion by inappropriate requests to reword independent scientific reports,” said Cllr Osborn.

“These Orwellian efforts to rewrite the facts mean that Shirley Rodrigues can no longer credibly remain deputy mayor of London, it’s time for her to go.”

London Conservatives described the latest emails as “revealing”, saying they showed ongoing interference into scientific research by the mayor’s office in relation to emissions.

Peter Fortune, the Conservative London Assembly member for Bexley and Bromley, two of the boroughs which are also challenging the Ulez expansion, said: “It is unacceptable that Sadiq Khan’s deputy would tell scientists to downplay findings that are inconvenient for the Mayor.

“Scientific debate needs to be open and transparent, but as these further revelations show, the Mayor’s office has repeatedly sought to interfere and silence dissenting views.

“Both Sadiq Khan and Shirley Rodrigues have a lot of explaining to do.”


The Queen Mary study, carried out in collaboration with Imperial College and King’s College, looked at more than 2,000 primary school children before and after the implementation of London’s Low Emission Zone in 2008, which imposed fines on polluting buses, lorries and coaches.

It found that although air pollution levels had dropped in the five years after the zone was introduced, there was no difference in the prevalence of asthma symptoms or an improvement in lung capacity in children aged eight and nine.

The authors said that interventions that bring larger reductions in emissions “might” yield improvements.

A spokesperson for the Mayor said that the study was referencing the impacts of the initial low emission zone, implemented by Boris Johnson, and did not undermine the effectiveness of Ulez.

“The current Mayor has always said the Lez wasn’t enough on its own to address toxic air, hence the rollout of the Ultra Low Emission Zone which is transforming air in the capital,” the spokesperson added.

“These emails demonstrate that these world-leading scientists who work with the GLA are free to disagree on how information is presented, as they should as independent experts.”

Ms Rodrigues, who leads on environment at the Greater London Authority (GLA), pulled out of planned media appearances this week, with Seb Dance, another deputy mayor, taking her place.

Asked about the original emails, Mr Dance said: “I think it’s quite normal that you would find a level of disagreement among academics on various reports and various findings.”


However, Ben Pile, of the campaign group Together which has been fighting Ulez, warned that thousands of people were having their lives turned upside down by an “anti-scientific and anti-car agenda”.

“Shirley Rodrigues has been caught trying to get scientists to do her political dirty work: silencing critics, preventing debate and fabricating scientific opinion,” said Mr Pile.

“This undermines the value of both institutional science and democratic politics. Scientific claims must be produced by scientists unfettered by ideological agendas, and debated in a transparent and free manner.

“There appears to be a very cosy relationship and a revolving door between all levels of government and the green blob.”

Critics of Ulez argue the scheme penalises those on low incomes who cannot afford to upgrade their vehicles, while allowing richer people to pay to pollute London.

Baroness O’Neill OBE, the lead of Bexley Council, said the emails were another reason that Ulez should be scrapped in outer London.

“The London deputy mayor responsible for environment and energy asking for a Lancet study to be ‘reworded’ to suit the purposes of Ulez is an absolute disgrace,” she said.

“This fits in with the spin the Mayor has been giving out to substantiate his own money making scheme.”

Outer boroughs such as Harrow and Hillingdon, which are fighting the plans, say they do not have the pollution problems of central London, and warn public transport is not good enough to deprive people of their cars.

tmg.video.placeholder.alt UCOEQM5Zo3c
The crackdown on cars has provoked uproar with cameras vandalised and covered with bags.

Councillor Colin Smith, leader of Bromley Council, said the ongoing email revelations were making the positions of Mr Khan and Ms Rodrigues increasingly untenable.

“The dam of public trust has been betrayed spectacularly and the truth is now out in the open for all to see,” he said.

“The weekend’s revelation, followed by today’s news, further serves to prove that Ulez has very little, if anything, to do with health and is nothing less than a barely disguised, socially regressive tax which is now set to destroy businesses, jobs and vital social support networks.

“The Secretary of State, Mr Mark Harper, needs to step in, show firm leadership and take immediate action to stop this nonsense in its tracks now.”

Queen Mary declined to comment on the emails.
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