Sadiq Khan has called Susan Hall, the Conservative candidate for the upcoming London mayoral election, “the most dangerous candidate I’ve fought against”.
Speaking in an LBC radio debate, the Labour mayor was asked whether he would “feel safe in a London run by” Hall.
Khan responded: “I’ve thought long and hard about this. I’ve fought three council elections. I’ve fought three parliamentary elections. This is my third mayoral election. The Tory candidate is the most dangerous candidate I’ve fought against”.
The question was raised after the Conservative candidate defended herself against criticism over her social media activity in recent years, including the fact that she “liked’” a post which called Khan a “traitor rat”, and shared another post which referred to him as the mayor of “Londonistan”.
***Politics.co.uk is the UK’s leading digital-only political website, providing comprehensive coverage of UK politics. Subscribe to our daily newsletter here.***
During the 2020’s US presidential election, Hall also posted on social media: “Come on Donald Trump – make sure you win and wipe the smile [off] this man’s face”, while sharing a video of Khan.
Earlier in 2020, she liked a post which had an image of Enoch Powell and the words “It’s never too late to get London back”.
Responding to Khan’s comments, Hall said: “Well, I think that’s an outrageous comment, and he would feel safer in a Susan Hall mayoralty, because I will do things for the police force that will make Londoners safer – much, much safer.
“Look at your record on safety in London. It’s dreadful. This is the first time the Metropolitan Police has ever gone into special measures.”
Commenting on her past social media activity, Hall said: “I’ve learnt that you have to be very, very careful when you just flick on things without thinking twice about it. But I’ve apologised for that, and I have learnt from my mistakes.”
Later in the debate, Khan asked Hall whether she regrets “supporting Donald Trump who is a racist, sexist and homophobe” and “liking Enoch Powell”.
He added: “Do you promise to be a mayor, if you win, that unites communities, rather than your record of dividing them?”
The Conservative candidate responded: “I do not divide communities. I support all communities. I come from Harrow, where it’s the most diverse borough in London, I’d say. It’s incredible.”
She added: “If you look at all communities, we’ve all got the same values. We all believe in hard work, we all believe in family, and we all believe in fairness – and we should all look at people in that way.”
Politics.co.uk is the UK’s leading digital-only political website, providing comprehensive coverage of UK politics. Subscribe to our daily newsletter here.
