A Labour parliamentary candidate has sparked controversy after being caught on camera describing Sadiq Khan’s vehicle pollution levy as “unfair” and likely to hit poor Londoners hardest.

Dr Faiza Shaheen, an Oxford-educated candidate for the Chingford and Woodford Green seat said the £12.50 was causing concern among working-class voters and small traders.

Speaking at an event alongside shadow Business Secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey, Dr Shaheen spoke of the need to improve air quality - but recognised the impact for poorer people.

She said: "I support action on clean air, there are 9,000 premature deaths in London each year, children in particular are affected. I think we need ULEZ, that’s why I’m out defending the policy on the doorstep every Saturday when canvassing in Chingford and Woodford Green.

"However, in order to gain broad public support and ensure it doesn’t make life difficult for those already struggling financially or running a small business it needs to be accompanied with a progressive and generous scrappage scheme which is easy to access."

Dr Shaheen who has worked to find solutions for policy inequalities for a decade reported that ULEZ would harm “plumbers and carpenters” who used a van and families who had been encouraged to switch to diesel cars.

She further added that a lack of insight and information about scrappage schemes had caused concern for residents across Chingford and Woodford Green.

Last week Mr Khan announced plans for a £25 million scrappage scheme for low-income ­Londoners.

This is in addition to a £23 million van scrappage scheme for “micro ­businesses”.

The Labour hopeful said: "The lack of information on scrappage schemes back in early 2018 when people were first hearing about the policy resulted in a backlash amongst some residents in Chingford and Woodford Green.

"Sadiq Khan has helpfully doubled the cash available for the scrappage scheme and is demanding more support from government to help people make the switch. Government must be investing to ensure a just transition to greener vehicles.

"At the event filmed, I was speaking about climate justice - that to me is about tackling climate change and greening Britain in a way that also addresses income and wealth inequality, or at the very least doesn’t make it worse."

The Ultra-Low Emission Zone is due to launch in central London on April 8 and will split the constituency when it expands to the North and South Circular roads in October 2021 was unfair to those at the poorer end.

The rising star was last year selected to take on former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith in Chingford and Wood Green, where he has a 2,438 majority.