Sadiq Khan denies cover-up over unlawful A20 speeding fines
Sadiq Khan denies a cover-up after Transport for London imposed an invalid A20 speed limit that led to about 62,000 motorists being fined.
How it was covered
- GB News was the only channel found covering it, concentrating on TfL's invalid A20 limit, Khan's refusal of an inquiry and calls for refunds.
- Channel 5, BBC News, BBC One, BBC Two, Channel 4, ITV and Sky News: not found in tracked broadcasts.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story. Facts only one channel reported are attributed to it.
GB News reported that Sadiq Khan has denied involvement in a cover-up over speeding fines issued after Transport for London lowered the speed limit on the A20. The programme said TfL officials temporarily reduced the limit from 70mph to 40mph in 2023 while the road was repaired. It said the resulting speeding restrictions were invalid.
According to GB News, 60,000 drivers were caught in the first six weeks of the new limit. Nick Freeman, a criminal defence lawyer, put the total number of motorists involved at about 62,000. The broadcast said £6.6m in fines was raised over the whole project. Freeman told the programme that somebody who was not authorised to sign the order had signed it, and that TfL had lied to MPs and to people who complained about the fines.
GB News reported that the London Assembly voted 16 to 3 for an independent investigation, but that Khan decided not to go ahead with it and left the matter to his own team. Freeman said a document that revealed the problem was dated 2022, and that TfL was told about it in early 2024 before saying in November 2024 that everything was in order.
Freeman said some drivers had received penalty points, lost licences and jobs, and suffered mental breakdowns. He argued that every motorist caught should be entitled to have their speeding conviction set aside. He called for a police investigation and a public inquiry. He said the conduct could amount to misfeasance in public office or conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
John Redwood, a panel member, said the public had been badly served and that the mayor should acknowledge the error, apologise and refund the money. He also raised concerns about Metropolitan Police targets for speeding fines. Scarlett Maguire said that if a mistake had been made, a cover-up was worse, and that drivers whose livelihoods were affected could have a case against TfL.
A spokesman for the Mayor of London said it was incorrect to suggest that the Mayor or TfL misled anybody in relation to the fines. The spokesman said TfL remained confident that enforcement of the speed limit was necessary because of safety risks. He said no wrongdoing was alleged by the court.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| Nick Freeman said the order was signed by someone who was not authorised to sign it. | |
| The London Assembly voted 16 to 3 for an independent investigation, but Khan decided not to proceed. | |
| Transport for London temporarily reduced the A20 speed limit from 70mph to 40mph in 2023 during road repairs. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The segment framed the issue as a TfL scandal and a test of Khan's accountability, with Nick Freeman as the main voice. It stressed the alleged cover-up, the refusal of an independent inquiry and the impact on drivers, while carrying the mayor's denial near the end. It also widened the attack to speed-camera revenue targets and motorists being treated as guilty until proven innocent.
- “Lord Khan has sought to deny that he was involved in a cover up over an awful change to a road speed limit, which resulted in thousands of drivers being fined.”
- “It is incorrect to suggest that the Mayor or TfL misled anybody in relation to these fines”
- “everyone is entitled to have their speeding convictions set aside”
Who was on air
People and organisations each channel put on air while covering this story. Channels' own presenters and reporters are not listed. Names as transcribed, and the list can miss people.
- 20:35 GMT
Nick Freeman, criminal defence lawyer
Jacob Rees-Mogg's State Of The · Mon 2 Nov
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.