London Mayoral candidates clashed at a stormy BBC debate on Monday night. In just fortnight's time London voters will choose a new Mayor to succeed Boris Johnson. It will be an important decision of relevance well beyond the capital.
During the significant debate, the Labour front-runner Sadiq Khan and the Conservatives’ Zac Goldsmith clashed again over claims the Tooting MP had “given platforms and oxygen” to extremists. Khan said he had “never hidden” the fact that, as a former chairman of Liberty and a human rights lawyer, he had acted for “some pretty unsavoury characters”. And when asked if he regretted sharing a platform with extremists, he said: “I regret giving the impression I subscribed to their views and I’ve been quite clear I find their views abhorrent.”
However, it emerged that he allegedly complained to MPs, about the demonisation of a hardline cleric. Khan allegedly objected to the treatment of Yusuf-al-Qaradawi, who had called for destruction of Jews and death penalty for homosexuals.
Goldsmith, a MP for Richmond Park and North Kingston, also hit back at questions he or his campaign team had labelled his Labour rival an “extremist” himself. He reportedly said: “My campaign has been overwhelmingly positive. I have made it very, very clear that I have never suggested that Sadiq Khan was an extremist in any way at all. The point I have made, and Londoners have made and the newspapers have made on a regular basis is that Sadiq Khan has given platforms and oxygen and even cover to people who are extremist and I think that is dangerous.” He added the claims made against Khan himself had been down to “only a few nut jobs on Twitter”.
Sadiq who seems to be ahead of Goldsmith by a few points, as the Sunday Times pointed out, had a few important questions to answer. Sadiq has a good story to tell. He is a local- South Londoner, a former human rights lawyer, a councillor by 24 and MP by 35, a Minister soon enough. If Khan wins, he will be seen by Corbyn's supporters as an endorsement of their leader. Yet having nominated Corbyn, Sadiq spent last few months distancing himself from his nominee so as to deter moderate voters.
The problems lies in the contradiction in Khan's statements as a MP and as a Mayoral candidate. As a transport minister Khan had emphasised on having a third runway at Heathrow, moment he became a Mayoral candidate, he was quickly against it and started favouring a third airport runway at Gatwick. Again before last election he was in favour of the mansion tax, and now with his eyes on City Hall, he sees it differently- no Mansion tax.
Politicians often swap sides to get elected- say whatever may bring them closer to victory and Khan is not beyond such suspicion. More serious however are his past associations. Goldsmith has focussed on them- though he has come out 'divisive' in the process.
Khan reportedly said he was “not reassured” that the capital’s emergency services were prepared to respond to a Mumbai-style terrorist attack. He added he intended to review the police, fire service and security services if he was voted into office next month. “I want reassurance that we are ready. If you’ve closed down 10 fire stations, there are 30 more fire engines being lost from London, half of London’s firefighters live outside London - I worry about London’s security.”
Though he promises to fight extremism, Atma Singh, a former Asian affair adviser to Ken Livingstone has apparently said that Khan was allegedly “way to willing to turn a blind eye to extremism.”
However Khan's political camp has dismissed the whole claim, though critics feel his campaign so far has changed views when it has appeared inconvenient.
Frankly whatever be their personal views, on extremism Londoners have lost a lot and they deseve a better response from its candidates.
