Mayor makes final pitch to Jamaican ex-pats, other London voters ahead of election
Published:Wednesday | May 1, 2024 | 12:10 AMToussaint Davy/Contributor
St Johns Church, Waterloo, London:
Making his last pitch to London voters ahead of the closely contested London Mayoral election on Thursday, two-time incumbent Mayor Sadiq Khan had a specific message for Jamaicans and West Indians last Friday.
Seeking his third four-year term, Khan spoke on issues ranging from social housing, to immigration, knife crime and the extension of his controversial Ultra Low Emissions (ULEZ) charge for outer London.
With a direct call to Jamaicans and West Indians from the diaspora, he stated: “I love this city. The idea of continuing to be the mayor of this great city excites me. I have seen the progress that has been made over the last eight years, despite the government. One of the reasons why I love the city is our diversity.
“We have black, white, Muslim, Jewish, Christians Hindus, Sikhs not just tolerating one another but respecting one another.”
He continued, “The Windrush Generation, when they came here they worked in hospitals, public transport. Their children helped build our city, so we have to remember our history.”
Khan was speaking exclusively to The Gleaner.
Anticipating re-election this week, Khan aired his concerns ahead of this year’s London Notting Hill Carnival, the world’s largest free event, after the Brazilian Carnival. The annual party attracts up to 2.5 million revellers packed onto London’s streets for the August Bank Holiday weekend.
“I want Carnival to stay where it is in Notting Hill and, secondly, I am concerned about safety. I am concerned about the success of Carnival, leading to concerns around safety.
“None of us wants to see, God forbid, a situation that we saw at Hillsborough or at Brixton Academy [where people died due to being crushed alive]. We have to make sure that we manage the crowds that go to Carnival. So, we’re working with the councils, the police and the stewarding companies to make sure that Carnival is as safe as it can be.”
He continued, “What we can’t afford to happen is to not address the issues that have been raised last year in particular,where at some points the numbers of people in a confined space was too high.
“It’s really important to manage the crowds. We’ve got crowd control experts advising the organisers of Carnival to make sure that the event is as safe as it can be. I do worry about a limited footprint having lots of people that’s why safety is of paramount concern,” he concluded.