Sadiq Khan blasts Donald Trump as he begins third term as London mayor
Sadiq Khan today claimed Londoners had ‘slammed the door shut’ on Donald Trump’s ‘brand of hard-right populism’ as he began his historic third term as mayor.
The Labour politician returned to his personal feud with the former US president following his victory in last week’s mayoral election in the capital.
Speaking at a declaration of office ceremony held in the Tate Modern, Mr Khan blasted comments made last week by Mr Trump.
The Republican hopeful, who is bidding for a return to the White House, claimed London was ‘unrecognisable’ because it had ‘opened its doors to jihad’.
But Mr Khan said Mr Trump ‘couldn’t be more wrong’, adding: ‘The truth is, through the results of this election Londoners have slammed the door shut on his brand of hard-right populism.
‘Londoners have said no to racism, no to division and no to hate, and yes once again to diversity, unity and hope.’
The mayor, dressed in a green linen suit from Hackney-based Percival, stood behind a lectern which read ‘London for Everyone’ as he hailed the capital as ‘a city of progress, pluralism and endless possibility’.
He added London’s story was ‘one written by people of all faiths, all ethnicities and all backgrounds’.
Sadiq Khan claimed Londoners had ‘slammed the door shut’ on Donald Trump ‘s ‘brand of hard-right populism’ as he began his historic third term as mayor
Mr Khan, pictured with his wife Saadiya, returned to his personal feud with the former US president following his victory in last week’s mayoral election in the capital
Mr Khan said Mr Trump ‘couldn’t be more wrong’, adding: ‘The truth is, through the results of this election Londoners have slammed the door shut on his brand of hard-right populism.’
Mr Trump, who is bidding for a return to the White House, recently claimed London was ‘unrecognisable’ because it had ‘opened its doors to jihad’
The mayor, dressed in a green linen suit from Hackney-based Percival, hailed the capital as ‘a city of progress, pluralism and endless possibility’
The Labour politician signed a declaration of acceptance of office to begin his third term as mayor
Mr Khan trounced Tory rival Susan Hall in Thursday’s mayoral election with a majority of some 275,000 votes.
His win prompted soul-searching within Conservative ranks over the choice of Ms Hall as their candidate – and why she was unable to capitalise on anger at the mayor’s performance.
Ms Hall used the campaign to challenge Mr Khan over ULEZ and crime rates, while she also accused the mayor of plotting new ‘pay-per-mile’ charges for London’s drivers – which he repeatedly denied.
The mayor today slammed his defeated Tory rival for her ‘lies’ during the election battle.
He said: ‘We had a Conservative candidate whose campaign was extremely negative, somebody who was spreading misinformation, fake information and lies.
‘So we had to respond and rebut that at the same time as trying to put forward a positive vision for our city – a fairer, greener, safer London.
‘I’m really proud that this city has rewarded that positive campaign and rejected the Conservative campaign.’
Mr Khan said he would always ‘shake hands’ after a contentious debate, but added: ‘It is important that those politicians who are irresponsible understand the consequences.
‘It means people like me need police protection, it means threats to my family, it means people protesting by my home, it means my wife and children being incredibly distressed.
‘I think all of us should reflect on our behaviour and the impact it has on others.
‘I speak as somebody who was close friends of Jo Cox and have a huge amount of respect for David Amess.’
When asked about London’s struggling nightlife sector, Mr Khan blamed Brexit, the Covid pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis for harming hospitality.
‘We are going to carry on supporting those businesses and frankly speaking what they need is a situation where the business rates aren’t going through the roof’, he said.
‘I’m looking forward to a really vibrant summer, attracting tourists back to the city, and if Taylor Swift can’t do it, nobody can.’
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