Leonardo DiCaprio in TITANIC war of words with Boris Johnson over London ULEZ expansion

Boris Johnson has launched a war of words against eco-warrior and Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio over Sadiq Khan’s extraordinary decision to further penalise and punish London’s motorists by expanding the capital’s ultra-low emission zone (Ulez). 

The ex-Prime Minister and other Conservative MPs have blasted the Left-wing mayor’s ‘smash and grab raid on drivers’ following Mr Khan’s decision to extend the low emission zone across Greater London from next August.

Drivers whose cars have engines deemed not clean enough will have to pay £12.50 to go out for a spin under the plans.

Mr Johnson’s intervention sets him up against Oscar-winning actor Mr DiCaprio, who has praised Mr Khan’s go-ahead for the Ulez expansion – which effectively takes it up to the M25 motorway – as ‘the kind of large-scale decisive action’ needed to tackle climate change.

Boris Johnson has launched a war of words against Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio over Sadiq Khan’s decision to further penalise London’s motorists by expanding the capital’s ultra-low emission zone 

Drivers whose cars have engines deemed not clean enough will have to pay £12.50 to go out for a spin under the plans

In a Facebook post, the Hollywood star wrote: ‘London mayor Sadiq Khan’s decision to expand his flagship air quality policy, the ultra-low emission zone (Ulez), will mean five million more people breathing cleaner air and will help to build a better, greener, fairer London for everyone.

‘This is the kind of large-scale, decisive action we need to halve emissions this decade, coupled with the implementation of nature-based solutions.

‘The expansion of the Ulez will reduce the number of Londoners living in areas exceeding interim World Health Organisation (WHO0 targets for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) by 13 per cent – including children at 145 schools.’

Despite Mr DiCaprio’s longstanding advocacy for addressing climate change, reports claim he uses carbon-spewing private jets to take trips around the world.

Last year, sources told Page Six that the actor took a jet from Miami to New York – and then back – within a single day.

He was in Florida for the Art Basel and had been seen viewing some of the exhibitions and later partying on November 30 last year, before he was supposed to co-host a benefit at Soho Beach House with Sean Penn for his CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort) organisation.

Guests at the benefit were told that Mr DiCaprio was unexpectedly called away to New York, though he would be returning for the event.

Sources said he ended up being delayed and only arrived back at the charity function by 11 pm, which left some guests concerned about the necessity of the trip.

Mr DiCaprio has not shied away from raising awareness about climate change, and he even referenced it in his Academy Award acceptance speech in 2016 when he won Best Actor for The Revenant.

‘Climate change is real, it is happening right now. It is the most urgent threat facing our entire species, and we need to work collectively together and stop procrastinating,’ he said from the stage.

Despite his use of private jets, Mr DiCaprio claims that he is ‘CarbonNeutral citizen’ after a London-based company planted thousands of trees in his name in Mexico to offset the carbon he produces, according to Forbes.

But sources close to the actor claimed that he had started using more commercial flights, which produce fewer carbon emissions per passenger, than private flights, according to Page Six.

They added that when he flew to the Cop26 Climate Summit in Scotland last month, he opted for a commercial jet flight, rather than a private flight.

Other signatories to Mr Johnson’s letter objecting to Ulez expansion include former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, ex-Transport Secretary Chris Grayling and Tory minister Paul Scully.

MPs branded Mr Khan’s decision ‘undemocratic and a hammer blow to households’ budgets’.

According to The Telegraph, the Conservatives said: ‘The Ulez was never intended to apply to outer London. This is a smash and grab raid on drivers’ wallets that has nothing to do with air quality and everything to do with Khan’s mismanagement of [Transport for London’s] finances. And it comes at the worst possible time for household income.’

In a Facebook post, the Hollywood star wrote: ‘London mayor Sadiq Khan’s decision to expand his flagship air quality policy, the ultra-low emission zone (Ulez), will mean five million more people breathing cleaner air and will help to build a better, greener, fairer London for everyone’

Mr Khan said air pollution is making Londoners ‘sick from cradle to the grave’, with illnesses such as cancer, lung disease, dementia and asthma

Mr DiCaprio met Mr Khan last year at the Cop26 summit in Glasgow and has previously used social media to support the mayor’s initiatives. In 2019 he tweeted congratulations to Mr Khan on the launch of the Ulez in central London. At the time, the actor said: ‘Clean air is a human right.’

The scheme has proved unpopular with many Londoners with a YouGov poll of 1,072 adults in the capital finding that 51 per cent opposed the Ulez being widened from its current boundary up to the North and South Circular Roads across all 33 boroughs.

Some 34 per cent were in favour and 15 per cent didn’t know.

Mr Khan’s Walking and Cycling Commissioner, Will Norman, praised Mr DiCaprio, saying: ‘The Mayor of London’s ULEZ expansion will give 5million Londoners cleaner air, People around the city and all over the globe know how important it is. Even Leo DiCaprio!’

Russell Warfield, head of communications at climate charity Possible, poked fun at Mr DiCaprio’s well documented preference for women many years his junior.

‘He likes his NO2 (nitrogen dioxide) levels like he likes his women. As close to legal as possible.’

The expansion of Ulez is expected to generate £200million in the first 12 months, according to Transport for London. However this is expected to drop away in following years as drivers switch to cleaner vehicles to avoid the £12.50 levy.

About 15 per cent of vehicles registered in outer London – about 200,000 – are currently thought to be liable for the 24/7 charge.

As London Mayor, Mr Johnson announced plans to implement the world’s first low emission zone in the capital in 2015. He has since opposed Mr Khan’s plan to expand Ulez.

Hundreds of thousands more drivers face a daily fee of £12.50 for using London’s roads after the mayor announced he will expand the zone to boost air quality. It will now stretch more than 30 miles from Uxbridge to Upminster.

Mr Khan has said extending Ulez to cover the whole of the capital from August 29 next year is ‘one of the toughest decisions’ he’s had to take but that it will give five million Londoners cleaner air to breathe.

The scheme, which operates at all times except Christmas Day, is currently limited to the area within the North and South Circular roads.

Motorists have criticised the move, which will cost regular commuters around £3,250 a year and comes as families are already facing soaring grocery , energy and fuel bills.

A spokeswoman for Mr Khan said: ‘The Mayor has been clear that it was not an easy decision to expand the Ultra Low Emission Zone London-wide but a necessary one to reduce the capital’s toxic air pollution, tackle the climate emergency and cut congestion in our city.

‘Around 4000 Londoners die prematurely each year due to the toxic air in our city and children are growing up with stunted lungs while adults have greater risk of heart disease, dementia and other serious illnesses.

‘The Mayor has listened to Londoners throughout this process and has asked TfL to explore what further support could be provided to care workers who may not have compliant vehicles in London. 

‘Although this is not straightforward, the Mayor has asked TfL to see what they can do without undermining the air quality benefits of the scheme.

‘Despite not receiving a penny in scrappage funding from the Government, the Mayor is providing £110million for a new scrappage scheme to help the Londoners who need it most amid the cost of living crisis including low income and disabled Londoners, on top of the £61million he provided for previous scrappage schemes. 

‘He continues to call on the government to support London’s scrappage scheme so it can expand even further, as they have done for other cities across the country.’