The leader of a local Green Party has defended a newly elected councillor's Lamborghini video on social media, stating that the controversy has been 'blown out of proportion'. Baggy Khan, 25, won Bolton's town centre Halliwell ward for the Greens at the local elections on May 7.
The video was posted on TikTok, Instagram and Facebook, showing Khan behind the wheel of a Lamborghini Huracán Spyder, which can cost up to £270,000. With a 5.2-litre V10 petrol engine, specialist car websites estimate that the car achieves less than 20 miles per gallon of fuel. The footage drew criticism as Green Party policies advocate for reduced car usage.
Councillor Hanif Alli, leader of the Green group in Bolton and Khan's mentor and election agent, defended him. He explained that the footage was taken at a family wedding in 2023 and the car did not belong to Khan. 'All the outrage is being blown out of proportion. The Asian community in Bolton celebrate weddings by hiring these cars for the special occasion,' Alli said. 'He's celebrating a special day and posted a video on TikTok and Insta, that's what young men do. It's exactly like a traditional British wedding where Bentleys and Rolls Royce cars are hired to make it something special. There would be no outcry about that. Baggy is 25, he's a very young man entering politics for the first time and had a tough election campaign. We should be applauding young people joining the council.'
On social media platforms, Khan's apparent liking for supercars has led to accusations of hypocrisy. One TikTok user commented: 'Absolute joke a local councillor driving a car like that.' Khan replied: 'Who said councillors can't drive cars like this?' In April, the party stated its wish to see the speed limit cut to 55mph on major roads outside built-up areas to increase fuel efficiency. Also last month, Khan defended himself after being criticised for a video which appeared to show him filming himself while driving.
Bolton Labour called for 'urgent answers' after an Instagram video emerged which appeared to show Khan, then a candidate for the Halliwell ward, filming content from inside a moving car while driving. At that time, Khan said: 'I am confident that I will be able to prove that I am not guilty of breaking the law. Anyone who knows me will know that I am a clean-cut young man with no criminal record. I give respect to all and am often involved in helping and mediating in the community. Labour have framed their story in a fashion to try and tar me with the same brush as those irresponsible drivers who drive at crazy speeds and film themselves whilst putting others at risk, which is absolutely not the case here. I got into politics to help my local communities and to represent young people in politics as many are disenfranchised with the gutter politics that have been carrying on for years.'
