“B*llocks” Boris Johnson tweeted, as he responded to findings from one of the country’s top emission scientists, Dr David Carslow. The outburst was the Mayor’s unique response to evidence that levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollution in Oxford Street were unparalleled in the world. The Mayor’s appearance before members of parliament’s Environmental Audit Committee today will likely be followed more closely than most and not simply by those waiting for the Mayor to push the boundaries of the English language. Following his recent announcement that he intends to return to Parliament, the commentariat will be watching closely to see how the Mayor fares in his likely new stomping ground from 2015.
Despite initially trying to dodge the appearance by telling Committee Chair Joan Walley MP his schedule “makes it impossible for me to attend” the Mayor will today face parliamentary scrutiny. Aside from the hubbub created by the Boris Johnson PR circus arriving in Westminster, there will be many who will be watching the Mayor and feeling deeply uneasy about what little progress has been made on tackling London’s silent killer. Many of these concerns will endure as the Mayor’s attention is inevitably taken by loftier ambitions.
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