Sadiq Khan Dubs Robert Jenrick 'Mr Ozempic' In Spat Over Tube Fare Dodgers

Sadiq Khan called Robert Jenrick “Mr Ozempic” as he hit back at the Tory frontbencher for confronting fare-dodgers on the London underground.

Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, filmed himself pursuing members of the public who snuck onto the tube without paying last week.

The Tory MP claimed lawbreaking was “out of control” in London, that the capital’s mayor Khan was “driving a proud city into the ground” and that one in 25 Tube-users do not pay for their journeys.

He also openly admitted to using the weight loss jab Ozempic last August, a fact Khan used today when hitting back at Jenrick’s criticism.

Speaking to Times Radio on Monday, the London mayor said: “What I find ironic, and it’s an example of the chutzpah of Mr Ozempic, is that he was in government when the government cut more than a billion pounds from their police budget.

“He was in government when the government removed Transport for London’s [TfL] operating grant, and now he’s criticising the consequences of the cuts in policing and TfL made by his government.

“What was he in 2010, 2024 when those cuts were being made in our policing? Where was he in 2015 when the government cut their operating grant to TfL?”

Jenrick has been in parliament since 2014, when he was first elected to be the MP for Newark.

He was a minister under Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak.

Khan said that while “fare evasion is an issue” – and has been for some time – he has overseen investment in enforcement officers, body-worn videos, CCTV and in the police.

Jenrick was also criticised by the general secretary of the TSSA union, which represents Tube staff, after he posted the video last week.

Maryam Eslamdoust said: “We’ve long said that fare evasion should be tackled through proper investment in staffing and enforcement and not by MPs playing hero on the commute.

“What we need is a fully funded British Transport Police, more London Underground revenue control teams, and a serious plan to tackle the causes of fare evasion.

“What we don’t need are performative interventions laced with bizarre and offensive commentary.”