Khan: Remain campaign must make patriotic case for EU
With four weeks until polling day, Sadiq Khan has made his first intervention into the EU referendum debate since becoming mayor of London, calling for a patriotic case to Remain.
In a speech in the east London Tech City development, Khan admitted that the debate on EU membership had become too dominated by potential risks.
“One side is saying: 'If we leave, then the world as we know it will end', and the other side's saying: 'If we stay, then it will be the end of time'. Frankly, neither is right.
“We would survive outside of the European Union, but we would be diminished as a country and city as a result,” Khan said.
Instead of playing the fear card, he argued that the Remain campaign must ground its arguments in patriotism.
“Throughout our history, Britain has always been open to the world. Always looking outwards and learning from others. Always looking for new partnerships and alliances. And always looking to the future and how we can change our country and the world for the better,” Khan said.
“This is the outlook and the values that define our country. It is quintessentially British. It is our open attitude that helped to build our country. It is why London became the great city it is today. And it's why we attract the best and the brightest from around the world to make their home here.
“We don't just embrace different cultures, we learn from them – shamelessly stealing the best ideas and making them our own,” he added.
The benefits of the European Union for London should not be understated in trade, security and environmentalism, but he noted that the most critical issue is its reflection of the principles of Britain, and London.
A vote to leave, he said “would be a betrayal of real British values. And it would send a message to the world that we now want to stand alone".