Sadiq Khan says voters ‘got it right’ by rejecting Labour
Sadiq Khan has said voters “got it right” by consigning Labour to its worst electoral defeat since 1931 and that the party did not deserve to win.
The mayor of London criticised the Labour leadership for the party’s landslide defeat last month, citing concerns about antisemitism, Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership and the overall policy direction as reasons for the result.
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Speaking to the Sunday Times today, he said: “It’s not just about changing the lead singer, it’s the whole band.
“What Jeremy and those around him should have the humility to recognise is [they] let Corbyn be Corbyn, and we got pasted.”
Khan also implied that Labour had become a racist party under the leadership of Corbyn.
Labour is currently being investigated by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to judge if the party is institutionally antisemitic.
Khan said some of his Jewish friends did not vote for Labour because they thought it a was racist party.
“And you know what? If a dog barks, and a duck quacks,” he said.
“For the leadership not to understand the impact of us being seen to condone anti-semitism is heartbreaking.”
Khan’s stance comes after similar comments last month in the days after Labour won just 202 seats in the election – the party’s worst total since 1931.
The mayor said Corbyn was not “credible” and that he should stand down before the upcoming party leadership contest.
However, his comments come despite campaigning vocally for Labour throughout the election and repeating Corbyn’s election slogan “Our NHS is not for sale” on Twitter.
The former Tooting MP also nominated Corbyn in the 2015 Labour leadership race.
Conservative candidate for the May mayoral election took to Twitter recently to criticise Khan’s previous support for Corbyn.
“Khan will use you when you’re hot and drop you when you’re not,” he said.
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“More than most, Jeremy Corbyn is a Sadiq Khan creation.
“No amount of after the fact spinning can erase the record.”
Khan was contacted for further comment.