The PM has been told that he risks jeopardising Britain’s leadership at the G7 and the Cop26 climate summit this year if he goes ahead with plans to cut UK aid by a third over two years.
Sharing his take on this since Khan is being touted as the only candidate who can root for climate change in London, Sadiq told Asian Voice, “As we rebuild our economy after Covid-19, we need to make clear that a strong recovery and a ‘green recovery’ are not mutually exclusive. They are one and the same.
“This Government has shown that there is a huge gulf between its climate rhetoric and delivery. It makes no sense that the Prime Minister would strip away vital aid funding and continue to fund fossil fuel projects overseas despite his government’s new policies and his candidate for Mayor has consistently refused to back many of my green initiatives.
“Let me be clear, I am the first Mayor of London to declare a climate emergency in our city and take bold steps to tackle it. It is why I introduced the world’s first Ultra Low Emission Zone which has helped reduce air pollution in parts of London by almost half and in central London by a third, if re-elected I will expand this to the North and South Circular so more Londoners can benefit from cleaner air. It is why I have invested heavily in walking and cycling infrastructure increasing the number of protected cycle lanes five-fold. It is also why I have put supporting more than 170,000 green jobs at the centre of my priorities for a second term.
“Londoners need support to access well-paid, futureproof jobs in the low carbon sector which is why ignoring the climate crisis is a false economy. Taking meaningful climate action now will ultimately mean greater health, prosperity and security for all, right here in the UK and around the world. “
After George Floyd finally got justice, London Mayor Sadiq Khan went on record to say that, "The guilty verdict must be the beginning of real change – not the end."
While the latest Race Commission report downplays the plight of the ethnic minorities, in an exclusive chat with Asian Voice, Sadiq Khan comments on how he would like to resolve this and what would be his immediate response, especially for frontline workers at the NHS who have shared vivid accounts of facing institutional racism. Sadiq said, “Like many, I was incredulous at the so-called findings of the Government’s race report. The idea that our society does not have serious issues with structural racism is insulting to all who have been confronted by it and whose lives have been blighted by it.
“It’s clear to me that there is still a great amount of work to do to unpick the conscious and unconscious bias and systemic racism that exists in our public institutions and society as a whole – the government’s inability to take action or even acknowledge that is an unacceptable failure. We must listen and respond to the frustrations voiced by London’s Black and Asian communities about the racial and social injustice they face when they interact with our public institutions be that the police service, the education system, the courts, the media and beyond.
“We know that Black and Minority Ethnic communities have been disproportionately impacted by this virus, partly because they are more likely to be employed in frontline roles – whether it’s in the NHS, as care workers, shelf-stackers or bus drivers. I am pleased that the government acted on my calls and announced their intention to make the recording of ethnicity on death certificates mandatory, this must now be implemented without delay. It is also vital that ethnicity data collection is embedded as an integral part of the testing and delivery of vaccinations.
“I have declared City Hall an anti-racist organisation and have always been clear that education has an important role to play in providing a more complete picture of our history and a more nuanced understanding of the historic and institutional reasons for racial inequality in Britain.
“That is why I have campaigned for Black history to be part of the National Curriculum and partnered with the Black Curriculum to help refresh elements of the London Curriculum which serves hundreds of primary and secondary schools across the capital.
“I have also established the Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm – to help us move past the limited perspective on history represented in our public spaces and to help us better convey the fullness and diversity of London’s history and values in our public realm. It is only by asking the difficult questions and facing up to uncomfortable truths that we can move towards fundamental and lasting change.
“If re-elected I’ll continue to do all I can to support and fight for London’s diverse communities in order to bring about a brighter future for all Londoners.
