DVLA to withdraw prosecution against London mayor Sadiq Khan over untaxed vehicle
Quick Look
The DVLA will withdraw a criminal prosecution against London Mayor Sadiq Khan after he was convicted in absentia for failing to tax a 24-year-old Nissan Micra, following evidence that the vehicle did not belong to him and that letters about the unpaid tax were sent to Gordon Ramsay's restaurant, with the mayor's adviser stating the case was a scam involving false vehicle registration.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The prosecution stemmed from a conviction in absentia where Khan was ordered to pay a £220 fine, £85 in costs, and settle a £35.84 bill for unpaid tax on a Nissan Micra. The case arose after Khan expanded the Ultra Low Emission Zone to cover all of London, prompting protests and allegations that motorists registered vehicles in his name to avoid the daily charge.
The DVLA has said a criminal prosecution against mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan will be withdrawn after he was convicted of not taxing a 24-year-old Nissan Micra.
The Labour politician, 55, was found guilty of keeping an unlicensed vehicle by a magistrate last month in a criminal prosecution brought by the DVLA.
Court documents show letters addressed to the mayor about the unpaid tax bill were sent to Gordon Ramsay's east London restaurant and the car did not belong to the mayor.
A spokesperson for the mayor said: "This is a scam, which is a crime. It's not the first time the mayor has been victim of a scam involving people falsely stating that Sadiq is the owner of a vehicle."
The mayor's adviser told BBC London earlier that the DVLA was "urgently" looking into reopening the case and withdrawing the prosecution.
The DVLA said the withdrawal had been accepted but it needed to be formally reopened and withdrawn, which will be done at a hearing at Hereford Magistrates' Court on Thursday.
The DVLA will also investigate the false registration, the adviser said.
The magistrate, sitting in a private hearing of the Single Justice Procedure in Herefordshire, previously convicted Khan in his absence and ordered that he pay a £220 fine, £85 in costs, and settle the £35.84 bill for unpaid tax on the Micra.
After the mayor expanded the Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) to cover the whole of London he faced a wave of protests, including from motorists who said they planned to register their car in his name - supposedly to make him liable for the £12.50 daily charge.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The DVLA will formally withdraw the prosecution against Sadiq Khan at a hearing in Hereford Magistrates' Court on Thursday.
Very likely · Within days
The DVLA will investigate the false registration of the Nissan Micra.
Very likely · Within weeks
Open Questions
- Who falsely registered the Nissan Micra in Sadiq Khan's name?
- What evidence confirms the vehicle did not belong to the mayor?
- Will the DVLA pursue charges against those responsible for the false registration?
- How widespread is the practice of registering vehicles in public officials' names to evade Ulez charges?
