Edenbridge Guy: Effigy of Sadiq Khan to go up in flames

Sadiq Khan has been unveiled as the Edenbridge Guy for 2023

An effigy of Sadiq Khan has been unveiled as the Guy of the Edenbridge Bonfire.

The 11m high figure of the Mayor of London will be lit on Saturday.

A spokesman for the Edenbridge Bonfire Society said "an overwhelming vote from the public wanted a Sadiq Khan effigy".

The Mayor has been a controversial figure in 2023 for the expansion of Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) to the whole of London and the borders of Kent, Essex and Surrey.

Mr Khan was approached for a response but declined to comment.

The effigy shows Mr Khan holding a Ulez sign and £15 tickets for London New Year's Eve fireworks event, with various traffic signs on his clothing.

Bill Cummings, Edenbridge Bonfire Society chairman, said: "This year we have chosen Sadiq Khan whose decision to extend the Ultra Low Emission Zone has affected many people living and working in our town.

"Unlike those living inside the new extended zone, there is no support for people who live outside it but whose livelihoods and commitments have been greatly affected by this decision."

The effigy of Liz Truss was set alight in 2022

The Edenbridge Bonfire Society in Kent has poked fun at celebrities and political leaders for many years.

Former Prime Ministers Liz Truss and Boris Johnson, US President Donald Trump and football star Wayne Rooney have been previous Guys.

Edenbridge Bonfire Society has been celebrating Bonfire Night for more than 90 years and this year will see more than 750 people participating in a torchlight parade through the town.

Money raised by the event will go to a number of charities in the area.

Former speaker John Bercow was the Edenbridge Bonfire Guy in 2019

Boris Johnson is seen eating a slice of "EU cake" in 2018

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