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The Guardian view on London’s mayoral race: elect Citizen Khan
Editorial
An able politician, Sadiq Khan edges his rivals on the housing crisis. And the divisive Conservative campaign run against him is all the more reason to make this Muslim the mayor
Conservative party London mayoral candidate Zac Goldsmith and Labour candidate Sadiq Khan take part in a debate on 12 April 2016
Conservative party London mayoral candidate Zac Goldsmith and Labour candidate Sadiq Khan. ‘The ultra-diverse capital of a diverse country, London has to live together before it can do anything else.’ Photograph: Niklas Halle’N/AFP/Getty Images
Friday 29 April 2016 14.13 EDT Last modified on Friday 29 April 2016 18.04 EDT
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Rarely has the politics of Westminster appeared so remote and unattractive. The Conservatives are entirely consumed with civil war over Europe, while the last few days have produced internal spasms of an even darker kind in the Labour party. Neither parliamentary tribe appears much interested in anything much beyond settling internal scores, and certainly nothing happening beyond the shadow of Big Ben.

Just across the Thames, however, and a mere mile downstream, a new mayor for London will next week take up the reins of City Hall, and acquire real power to get real things for the Britain’s infuriating, irresistible, diverse, divided, prosperous, packed and over-priced capital. It is the fifth election for a modern mayor, since New Labour created a political office with one of Europe’s largest direct, personal mandates, and a combination of executive and legislative-style powers, which means that – in those fairly narrow fields which City Hall controls – what the mayor says goes. Sure, the London assembly keeps an eye on the head honcho, but it can’t do much more than that, and so, inevitably, the race for London has come to be a very personalised contest. Over the past two cycles, the chaotic charisma of Boris Johnson has proved decisive, and in all four past elections, the socialist swagger of Ken Livingstone loomed large. But at the end of a week in which he has disgraced himself, Londoners will be relieved that this time around they confront a choice between a fresh cast of characters.

There are many things to admire in the Green policy platform of Siân Berry, and Sophie Walker of the Women’s Equality party is giving the capital’s yawning gender pay gap and costly childcare a welcome nudge up the agenda. There might even be a case for breathing a bit of life back into London’s Lib Dems, represented by the long-time former Southwalk councillor Caroline Pidgeon, who are, in the country’s most liberal city, just as moribund as everywhere else. In the end, however, as every poll has demonstrated, next week will come down to a straight choice between two men, and every minor party supporter has a second preference, which they would be wise to use, and which will only count for anything if it is passed to Labour’s Sadiq Khan or the Conservative Zac Goldsmith.


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After the long era of the Boris and Ken show, this year’s race initially promised to be a more ordinary political affair. A bright boy who worked his way up from a working-class home, who navigates his way round a few solid progressive principles with steely – and on occasions ruthless – pragmatism, Mr Khan is a very traditional London Labour figure in many respects, the one twist being that he is a child of immigrants. Mr Goldsmith is depressingly representative of the ruling clique of the contemporary Conservative party in demographic terms. Like the prime minister and the outgoing mayor, he is a white, fortysomething, who also attended the same famous boys-only school as them both, the one difference being that he was born even richer. To be fair, however, Mr Goldsmith has always ploughed his own, distinct political furrow, concentrating on the environment and initiatives to freshen up democracy. He needs to be judged, as does Mr Khan, less by his past than by what his election would mean for the future.

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The biggest issue on the doorstep this time is not, as usual, transport, but instead the appalling housing shortage. Both would-be mayors are agreed that the rate of building needs to double, to 50,000 homes annually. The puffed-up property market is a very deep structural flaw in the capital’s economy, and similar promises have been made in the past and come to little. So the manifestos need to be read with a sceptical eye, but Mr Khan’s plans are somewhat more convincing – he puts more emphasis on the most pressing need of genuinely affordable homes for rent, whereas Mr Goldsmith gets distracted by schemes to provide deposits to buyers. Mr Khan has also given some thought at least to the importance of releasing land held by public authorities, including Transport for London, and his sharp elbows could be useful when it comes to cutting deals with Whitehall and the boroughs, without which nothing much will get done. The more other-worldly Mr Goldsmith projects less confidence on this score.

Mr Goldsmith has a stronger claim to be the best candidate on London’s increasingly nasty air pollution problem, even though the outgoing Conservative administration bears heavy responsibility here. His principled and consistent opposition to airport expansion makes for a flattering contrast with Mr Khan’s ticking and tacking on the question. His difficulty, however, is that his potential moral authority has been badly undermined by the divisive, sectarian tactics that have been deployed in his campaign. Words like “radical”, which are flattering in some contexts but damaging when applied to a Muslim, have been repeatedly flung at Mr Khan. Tory politicians up to and including the prime minister have damned him for meeting illiberal Muslim figures, irrespective of whether they were political allies or foes. And the Conservatives have taken to issuing suspicious bespoke leaflets to non-Muslim minority ethnic communities.

The ultra-diverse capital of a diverse country, London has to live together before it can do anything else. The Muslim community is often the principal loser from division. Mr Khan – who has shown a resolute stance against antisemitism – holds out some prospect of healing it. Mr Goldsmith is no cartoon rightwinger, but after this campaign his victory would entrench it. London should vote, and vote enthusiastically, for Citizen Khan.

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Unfortunately for Khan, the Muslim community needs a PR make over. They are still associated with terrorism even if unjustified.  When the link between Islam and terrorism is erased from people's minds then maybe a Muslim mayor may be elected. 

FM
Chief posted:

Druggie if we g o by stereotypes  then no other ethnin, example ,Italian would have never been elected to office.

Chief, you know that muslims in Europe and North America have a flashing beacon on their heads. Tulsy Gabbard and Bobby Jindal have been elected to offices in America.

FM
skeldon_man posted:
Chief posted:

Druggie if we g o by stereotypes  then no other ethnin, example ,Italian would have never been elected to office.

Chief, you know that muslims in Europe and North America have a flashing beacon on their heads. Tulsy Gabbard and Bobby Jindal have been elected to offices in America.

Flashing beacons by people who love to hate.

There are still decent people who recognize that being a Muslim does not mean that you are a terrorist. Just like being an Italian does not mean that you are part of the Mafia.

Chief
Chief posted:
skeldon_man posted:
Chief posted:

Druggie if we g o by stereotypes  then no other ethnin, example ,Italian would have never been elected to office.

Chief, you know that muslims in Europe and North America have a flashing beacon on their heads. Tulsy Gabbard and Bobby Jindal have been elected to offices in America.

Flashing beacons by people who love to hate.

There are still decent people who recognize that being a Muslim does not mean that you are a terrorist. Just like being an Italian does not mean that you are part of the Mafia.

I get your drift. Who in the world cause majority of the world's non-muslims to distrust muslims?

FM

Skeldonman,

We can have a discussion from now to tomorrow and the arguments will be the same.

You will be  holding out that Muslims caused this on ourselves and me saying that invading Muslim countries has consequences hence all these different fringe groups.

Bottom line is and which I agree with both you and Druggie , Islam and Muslims definitely has a black eye out there.

 

Chief
Chief posted:

Skeldonman,

We can have a discussion from now to tomorrow and the arguments will be the same.

You will be  holding out that Muslims caused this on ourselves and me saying that invading Muslim countries has consequences hence all these different fringe groups.

Bottom line is and which I agree with both you and Druggie , Islam and Muslims definitely has a black eye out there.

 

Thanks Chief!

FM
Chief posted:
skeldon_man posted:
Chief posted:

Druggie if we g o by stereotypes  then no other ethnin, example ,Italian would have never been elected to office.

Chief, you know that muslims in Europe and North America have a flashing beacon on their heads. Tulsy Gabbard and Bobby Jindal have been elected to offices in America.

Flashing beacons by people who love to hate.

There are still decent people who recognize that being a Muslim does not mean that you are a terrorist. Just like being an Italian does not mean that you are part of the Mafia.

Unfortunately, there are just too many of you and too few Ksazma!!

FM
Last edited by Former Member

YES THEY DID!!!!

 

 

A Muslim Bus Driver’s Son Has Just Beaten a Millionaire Banking Heir to Become the Mayor of London

 

By Charles Parkinson

London's mayoral race had been a prince and pauper tale, as the son of a bus driving immigrant took on the scion of a banking dynasty in the battle to lead one of the world's richest cities.

But while the multi-millionaire ruling Conservative Party candidate Zac Goldsmith had the backing of London's powerful business community, it was the opposition Labour Party's Sadiq Khan who won the day, becoming the first Muslim mayor of a major Western city in the process.

As the fifth of eight children born to Pakistani immigrants, Khan's heritage had consistently been targeted by Goldsmith, who was accused of seeking to stoke racial tensions at a time of widespread public anxiety over Islamic extremism and Europe's ongoing refugee crisis.

But with many Londoners feeling the pinch from housing and transport costs that have spiralled over the past eight years of Conservative rule, Khan's pledge to freeze public transport fares for his four-year term and build thousands more affordable houses, while urging people to choose hope over fear, saw him sweep the election by a landslide nine percentage point margin.

Goldsmith is the eldest son of James Goldsmith, the heir to a centuries-old banking dynasty who died in 1997, leaving Zac an estimated £300 million ($430 million) fortune at the age of 22. He has served as a Member of Parliament since 2010 and is a renowned environmentalist, who had sought to emphasize his green credentials during his campaign.

But by election day on Thursday, polls had widely predicted that former Transport Minister Khan would achieve a clear victory, and he ended up claiming 44 percent of the popular vote to Goldsmith's 35 percent, among a field that included ten other candidates. His victory returns the London mayoralty to the Labour Party after two terms of Conservative rule under Boris Johnson.

Related: Could London Become the World's First Gender Equal City?

Khan's campaign saw him pledge to be a "Mayor for all Londoners" who would bridge ethnic and cultural lines in a city where more than 40 percent of the population were listed as non-white in a 2011 census, and more than one third are foreign-born.

Goldsmith's campaign on the other hand was marked by what critics said was a cheap attempt to whip up fear, with right-wing newspapers sympathetic to his campaign seekingto highlight Khan and his family's alleged links to Islamic extremists.

The fact Khan had spoken in the past at events aimed at the Muslim community at which radical Islamic clerics were also allowed to speak was repeatedly cited as evidence he was not to be trusted, a campaign tactic which drew widespread rebuke from commentators who said it insinuated that Khan was a dangerous choice for mayor because he was Muslim.

In an article published by the Mail on Sunday four days before the election and purportedly written by Goldsmith himself, the Conservative Party candidate said Khan had "repeatedly legitimized those with extremist views" by sharing platforms with radicals. The article was accompanied by a photograph of a bus bombed during terror attacks in London in 2005 — a decision which saw criticism for Goldsmith surge, including among Conservative Party members.

Many people took to social media to point out that the far-right British National Party had previously attempted to use the 2005 London bombings for political gain, with senior Conservative Party politician David Davis at the time branding them "tasteless and bigoted" for doing so.

Harsh criticism came from senior Conservatives and Goldsmith's own sister soon after the result became clear. Former Conservative party chairman Sayeeda Warsi condemned his "appalling dog whistle campaign," while Jemima Goldsmith said it was sad her brother's campaign "did not reflect" the person she knew him to be — an eco friendly, independent- minded politician with integrity.

 

 

While Goldsmith had sought to play on tensions, many of Khan's supporters and liberal commentators had argued that although his religion should not be a primary concern in his candidacy, choosing a Muslim would send a clear message that one of the Western world's most important cities rejects the fear and division both Islamic extremists and the increasingly vocal far-right seek to promote.

Khan now immediately takes on the role as mayor, after Johnson officially stepped down two days ago. The new mayor has pledged to address London's housing crisis by building thousands more affordable homes at a time when house and rent prices continue to spiral in the city, forcing less affluent people to move increasingly far from the city center.

Khan has also pledged to freeze public transport fares during his four-year term, with ticket prices having risen 40 percent over the past eight years under Johnson, as well as to introduce a "one hour" transport ticket, allowing users multiple transfers within an hour in order to reduce transport costs for individual journeys.

Related: London Mayor and Parliamentary Contender Boris Johnson Defends Capitalism as a Moral Mission

Thursday also saw regional elections held across the UK, with neither Labour nor Conservative having great reason to celebrate as votes were still being counted on Friday afternoon. In the first electoral test for Labour under its new leader Jeremy Corbyn — a far-left longstanding MP who won a surprise victory to take the reins of the party in September 2015 — Labour held control of many county and city councils but has failed to make any real gains in the results announced so far. It also came in third place in parliamentary elections in Scotland, its former heartland, thanks to the continuing surge in popularity for the Scottish National Party, which won the most amount of seats but failed to secure a majority.

The Conservatives had hoped to make major gains over Labour in light of Corbyn's controversial leadership and a pre-election week in which the opposition was rocked by accusations of anti-Semitism. But like Labour, it mostly held on to councils it already controlled, wrestling just one local authority from its rivals by the time of this article's publication.

Follow Charles Parkinson on Twitter: @charlesparkinson

Related: Evictions and Resistance: On the Front Lines of London's Housing Crisis

TOPICS: sadiq khan, zac goldsmith, london, united kingdom, uk, europe, politics, london mayor,labour party, conservative party

Chief

I just finished offering my prayers before sunset and I asked almighty Allah to guide Mayor Sadiq Khan, for him to be just, to serve all Londoners with fairness and humility and more so for him to be  a role model to Muslims all over the world.

 

Chief
Cobra posted:

I head tourist to U.K. just plunged from hearing this news. Congratulation, Chief. The London bridge will really fall now.  

Buddy Cobra thanks for the congratulations.

Please stop using your ears as a toilet bowl, it will damage your body.

Chief
Chief posted:

I just finished offering my prayers before sunset and I asked almighty Allah to guide Mayor Sadiq Khan, for him to be just, to serve all Londoners with fairness and humility and more so for him to be  a role model to Muslims all over the world.

 

I remembered when David Dinkens won NYC Mayoral election, he praise the thugs for not rioting. What will Sadiq Khan do with the ME Muslims who want sharia laws to kill their wives in public? Does he possesses a any fanatic ideology to appease these people that are praying for London to crumble? I actually like Mr Khan, but the tough question must be asked. 

FM

The drop in the price of oil is hurting the coffers of terrorist organizations. Saudi Arabia is focusing away from oil and towards mining and tourism.  Non-Muslims will very soon be able to travel to Saudi Arabia. Things are getting bad in the kingdom. Very soon they will impose charges on philgrims going to the Haj

Billy Ram Balgobin
Chief posted:

Trump and Congresswoman Tulsi getting a headache.

These two racists swines belongs to each other. She backing Bernie but she backside hate muslim just like Trump.

 

Nah, Trump's headache is to win the presidency, then he will implement the controls needed to keep the US safe.  With London going Sharia, they may need to be put on a restricted list!!

FM
yuji22 posted:

Mr. Khan could very well be an ahmadiyya and thus very decent and tolerant people.

I wish him well.

He need to show this and redeem his religion by starting a drive to shut down and cleanse all radical mosques and their leaders!

FM

Wishing Sadiq Khan much success in his new role as Mayor of London. Like Druggie stated, Dinkins was too black centric and missed many opportunities to be a complete mayor. Hopefully Khan govern all Londoners and not be distracted like Dinkins was. He has the opportunity to prove to Muslims that they can do more for themselves and their community if they really want to. He also have the opportunity to bridge the suspicion gap between Muslims and non-Muslims but he will need to be fair, objective and just. 

FM

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