Sadiq Khan comes out fighting against “Donald Trump” tactics and Labour squabbles
Newly elected Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has warned that the Labour party needs to stop arguing among itself and focus on the lives of voters while blasting the Conservative's "Donald Trump" tactics.
After winning a comfortable majority to give Labour its first election win in City Hall for eight years, Khan said: "It might seem like stating the obvious, but offering solutions to the challenges most people face every day is the only way to win elections."
Khan attacked the campaigning of the Conservative party and its candidate Zac Goldsmith, describing it as "something straight out of the Donald Trump playbook" writing in the Guardian.
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"… first, Labour only wins when we face outwards and focus on the issues that people care about; second, we will never be trusted to govern unless we reach out and engage with all voters – regardless of their background, where they live or where they work," said Khan, addressing Labour's "internal squabbles" under leader Jeremy Corbyn.
He continued: "I was looking forward to a good honest campaign, debating how we best tackle things like the housing crisis, high transport fares and air pollution. But David Cameron and Zac Goldsmith chose to set out to divide London’s communities in an attempt to win votes in some areas and suppress voters in other parts of the city.
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"They used fear and innuendo to try to turn different ethnic and religious groups against each other – something straight out of the Donald Trump playbook. Londoners deserved better and I hope it’s something the Conservative party will never try to repeat."
Khan has been praised for his tightly run campaign with a focus on major issues facing Londoners such as transport and homes, while targeting traditional Tory boroughs rather than the core Labour supporters in the city. Goldsmith's campaign was plagued by accusations of so-called dog-whistle politics.