Watch out, Jeremy Corbyn, it looks like Sadiq Khan, the London Mayor’s bid for the Labour leadership is hotting up. Khan is using Brexit and the American President to further his goal. After President Donald Trump dropped his bombshell that he would not be visiting London to open the new US Embassy, Sadiq Khan tweeted from both his personal and his official accounts, “Many Londoners have made it clear that Donald Trump is not welcome here while he is pursuing such a divisive agenda. It seems he’s finally got that message. This reinforces what a mistake it was for Theresa May to rush and extend an invitation of a state visit in the first place.”
To which Boris Johnson, Foreign Secretary, replied, “The US is the biggest single investor in the UK—yet Khan & Corbyn seem determined to put this crucial relationship at risk. We will not allow US-UK relations to be endangered by some puffed up pompous popinjay in City Hall.” Sources say, Theresa May has backed Johnson’s criticism of Khan and Corbyn, “Boris expresses himself in his own inimitable way. We agree that any risk to the crucial US-UK relationship is not in our country’s best interests,” said a source from No. 10.
Khan is a known Hillary Clinton supporter as reported in this paper (http://www.sundayguardianlive.com/world/6586-london-s-new-mayor-sadiq-khan-visits-america) and President Trump’s dissing of the Obama administration’s real estate deal, regarding the undervalued sale of the US embassy, most likely presented him with an opportunity to show his loyalty to the Democrats.
Khan’s intervention has made the disappointment worse. Khan pretends he speaks for the whole of London, which is rubbish as Trump has a multitude of admirers, and secret admirers, in the capital and across the UK. Of course, London would have welcomed Trump in the style he expects, but clearly Khan had other ideas. Labour may have mobilised protests. For Khan the Trump feud is a political instrument. Khan’s antipathy to the leader of the free world has embarrassed the UK internationally. Khan has been harbouring a grudge since the US travel ban against high risk countries was conceived and in February 2017 Khan demanded it be rescinded. Shortly afterwards and somewhat hypocritically he hosted a reception at City Hall for 11 dignitaries from countries that bar entry to Israeli Jews.
Since when does the London Mayor get involved in foreign policy? Khan has delusions of statesmanship; he is perpetually ranting against Brexit and dividing Londoners, whilst not getting on with his job. His campaign promises are undelivered: knife crime in London was up 31% in 2017 with seven fatal stabbings in London since the New Year. Khan is Police and Crime Commissioner, responsible for setting priorities for the Metropolitan Police with a budget of £3 billion, but there have been four terrorist incidents in London, since he was elected London Mayor. Where are the new houses and infrastructure/security improvements he promised?