I grew up on a council estate in Tooting, South London. It’s where my mum, my siblings and I still live now, it’s where my children go to school, and it’s the place I am proud to call home.
When I was growing up my dad worked every hour of overtime he could get as a London bus driver, and my mum worked as a seamstress. They taught me that if I wanted to succeed in this country, I would have to work twice as hard as my white friends and neighbours. They also taught me the importance of learning about my faith, culture, traditions and language. “Money is not everything” was a frequent refrain.
That’s why I’m so proud to say that I’m running to be the next Mayor of London. For someone from my background, I couldn’t have dreamed of this when I was growing up.
I would guess that my family background and upbringing is not dissimilar to many people reading this column. However, there has been a tendency for the media to lump all “Asians” together, regardless of our ethnicity or background. Yes it’s convenient, but it’s ridiculous to think that all communities from a continent four times the size of Europe have the same cultures and beliefs.
So when my Hindu friends say to me they want to be referred to as British Hindus, or British Indians, or as British Gujaratis, Punjabis, Tamils, Muslims or Sikhs, I say yes! I believe we have to work to help communities celebrate their own identities within a diverse, open, liberal multi-cultural Britain. We can and must be positive about our differences. That’s what makes London the great city it is today
My surname is Khan, and it evokes all sorts of reactions from different people. From the BBC comedy Citizen Khan, to Bollywood stars, famous cricketers, and even, sadly, for some, thoughts of extremism and terrorism. I don’t have the looks of Shah Rukh Khan or the skills of Imran Khan, and I certainly don’t subscribe to the views or actions of extremists. In fact I have spent my whole life fighting against intolerance and discrimination in whatever forms it raises its head.
As Mayor, I will never allow a small fringe of extremists to spoil it for the rest of us, nor will I simply allow these issues to be swept under the carpet. Imagine the message to send to the rest of the world to see a Mayor who is a Muslim leading the fight against terrorism and extremism in our city.
I respect the immense potential of the Indian sub-continent, particularly as a trading partner for London’s businesses, but here again, I believe I speak for the overwhelming majority when I say that we must not let the politics of the sub-continent dictate our discourse in Britain.
I want to be the most pro-business Mayor London has ever had. I would be the first Mayor to have run their own business. I took my law firm from just two partners to employing over fifty people. I know the things that concern businesses: finding skilled staff, access to finance and having the right infrastructure in place, from transport, to housing and high speed broadband. I want to make London the best city in the world to start a business.
Part of that will involve tackling the threats London’s business face; the European referendum and the clamp down on skilled immigration. As Mayor, I will lead the campaign to stay in the European Union, working with business to make the strongest possible case to the British people. I will also challenge the Government on their immigration cap, which means London’s businesses can’t get the employees they need. It’s a total disgrace that the number of Indian students studying in British Universities has fallen by 36 per cent.
But my ambition for London doesn’t end there. I want to build more affordable homes so that our children can get onto the housing ladder and make renting more affordable and secure. I want to fight for better wages for those at the bottom and more high skilled jobs. I want to tackle the shortage of school places, reduce the cost of childcare and make London a safer, greener and better city to live in.
I hope you will join me in the campaign. I want to build a movement to improve our city. And you don’t have to be a Labour Party member to get involved. To sign up just go to http://www.sadiq.london/.
