Sadiq Khan

[FluffyCreme]

Is he the most unpopular mayor London has ever had? Knife crime is going up rapidly and he doesn't seem to want to discuss the murders in London. I don't know what he's up to, he seems obsessed with PRing himself and totally ineffectual. I wish we could replace him as soon as possible.

[EveryDayIsADuvetDay]

Zombie thread, but he is still useless
And he should have gone last May
How come the US can organise (ok, maybe bad choice of verb) a nationwide election, but we can't have one in London?

And he is doing sod all about the fact that covid vaccines are being shipped anywhere and everywhere in the UK except London - the most densely populated part of the UK.

Useless waste of space.

[jnfrrss]

Some people are just copying and pasting SK own propaganda cooked figures to make him sound affective.

[jnfrrss]

I think he's pretty weak and clueless, but so have all the other Mayer's. Always looking to blame someone else rather than admitting a problem and trying to address it. The freeze on public transport costs is leading tfl into the red.

The actual number of police on the street hasn't changed much, but crime has alot.

Stopping stop and search wasn't a good idea, but that was the home secretary.

[Walkingdeadfangirl]

So why did he make a promise he knew he couldn't keep. He lied.

[GnotherGnu]

What has happened to the 32,000 police numbers that Khan promised during his election campaign? Has that been axed as well?

The government has reduced spending on police in London by almost 40% since 2011. Khan has had to find £150 millions of savings. Despite that, he has committed to putting £110 million back into policing.

[GnotherGnu]

It was noticeable that Khan's response to Grenfell was so much better than Theresa May's. She could hardly bring herself even to talk to the survivors.

[W0rriedMum]

The day he tweeted about TREES when that young girl had just been stabbed to death in Tottenham recently, I went right off him. Compassion? Zero

[Thymeout]

Gorgon - No. That's why I made an exception regarding his foreign policy. I didn't agree with his anti-West, pro-IRA, pro-Islam, pro-Palestinian politics and the GLC had an anti-zionist, anti-Israel, anti-semitic culture, way back in the 70s and 80s. Livingstone was part of the same far left faction as Corbyn, McDonnell, Galloway and Abbott. It's a sorry stain on his record. No doubt about it.

But the question asked was what did he do for London. His focus was on the Black and Asian communities, both of which were more recent arrivals, more numerous and more disadvantaged. And I do believe that there would have been inter-racial unrest if the Conservatives had been in charge of City Hall. When Livingstone took over the GLC, it wasn't so long after the Notting Hill riots. His speech after 7/7 was the highlight of his mayoralty, imo. I can't begin to imagine what a mess Boris would have made of it.

[Walkingdeadfangirl]

What has happened to the 32,000 police numbers that Khan promised during his election campaign? Has that been axed as well?

[DuchyDuke]

@gorgon - not just the Jewish community, there’s been a systematic ignorance of the Hindu community too.

[mercurymaze]

sadiq is lame, with the recent london shootings he was nowhere

we need a strong london figure who speaks for everyone for london mayor

[GorgonLondon]

He did a lot for community cohesion. Was anti-racist and pro-GLBT years ahead of his time. Won the Olympics for London. His foreign policy was another matter....but without Ken, I think there would have been far more racial problems in London, which absorbed more immigrants from all over the world than any other part of the UK.

Err, are we just ignoring the Jewish community then, in this apparent 'community cohesion'?

[QuackPorridgeBacon]

I don’t know much about him or the job of a mayor, but I do understand there are a lot of cuts etc and I’m wondering, how do people expect the mayor to just find money that isn’t actually available to do the things they want? It can’t be easy being in any political role really as they cannot and do not have the final say on anything. They can’t just say “right this is what we want now get it done!” There is a process and needing of funds surely?

[Thymeout]

Spring, Ken made a huge difference, going back to GLC days. He introduced the Freedom Pass, cheaper fares, the Oyster card and lots more buses. The congestion charge cut down traffic and paid for itself. He opened up the whole South Bank area to ordinary Londoners. Introduced the Open Foyer policy at the RFH, so everyone could use it, have a drink, free music at lunchtimes etc etc, instead of just the people who could afford to buy tickets for a concert. Thames Days were great - everyone from Punks to Old Kent Rd grannies, all Londoners having a a whale of a time. The Thames Barrier, Cross-rail, the Overground. And he balanced his budgets.

He did a lot for community cohesion. Was anti-racist and pro-GLBT years ahead of his time. Won the Olympics for London. His foreign policy was another matter....but without Ken, I think there would have been far more racial problems in London, which absorbed more immigrants from all over the world than any other part of the UK.

[SpringNowPlease2018]

oh talking about the Mayor's power - he has power of veto over the London Assembly - so when the LA objected to the Garden Bridge, Johnson could resort to power of veto.

I think there's very little point having an Assembly if the Mayor can just decide.

I don't think the Mayor can help with policing really can they?

[SpringNowPlease2018]

what do we think Ken and Boris achieved?

one thing I feel, for Londoners trying to get about and just get on with work, there are too many big events and road closures etc now. I had to take my dad to a central London hospital several times last summer and he really needed a cab home after treatments, some of which were at weekends.

They could still pick up outside the hospital but then we had this endless stupid journey home because the road was closed for the billionth cycling event or whatever.

the hospital staff would tell us how long it took them to get and to and from work with all the closures.

[bridgetoc]

Whatcanhe actually do though? Some stuff around the periphery but blaming him for not cutting knife crime is like blaming the weather forecaster for the rain.

What do people who criticise SK want him to do that he’s not doing? Is it SK you’re criticising or the emasculated rather impotent role of London Mayor.

Good points...... The Mayor in reality has little power. However, while knife crime is not his fault, he isn't interested in tackling the problem. He has no interest in finding out the route cause of why all these black youths are stabbing each other. He has done what he always does. Apportion blame elsewhere...... In this case police cuts.

[kalapattar]

I wonder what the OP thinks?

Given they started this thread. Under a new name too.

I wonder why they haven't been back.

[bridgetoc]

Khan is a lightweight politician of the worst kind. He has no chance of ever leading The Labour Party. He is a protest politician, and nothing more. He does not have what it takes. He never will........

Goldsmith as a leader? I don't think we even need to go there do we. If he couldn't beat a lightweight like Khan, he stands no chance in goverment.

Boris? Love him or loathe him he is a heavyweight politician. He has what it takes. If, as a Tory, he can get the vote to be mayor of Labour loving London twice, and also convince the country to vote for Brexit, in spite of project fear, than he stands a great chance.

[Thymeout]

Spring I don't have asthma, but I'm getting on a bit. I live in Outer London, but last summer was the first time I really noticed pollution. I live close to an A road with 2 bus routes and my nose streamed whenever I went outside. Central London makes me cough to clear my chest.

[Thymeout]

Whisky I agree with Cardibach. The premise of this thread is comparative. And remember, when we're comparing, Ken and Boris both had an 8 year record to stack up failures and successes. Sadiq has been in office for less than 2 years. Boris was coasting on Ken's coat-tails at this point. And, if you're relying on the Standard for plaudits for Sadiq, it's a Tory newspaper, edited by George Osborne.

[SpringNowPlease2018]

Goldsmith - as well as being a racist arse - can hardly call himself an environmentalist while backing the Garden Bridge!

[SpringNowPlease2018]

oh right thanks Chardonnay

It's interesting that I didn't see that because with all those shops, it's an area I'd not go to anyway.

I have asthma, and I find that the Tube is a bigger problem than walking or taking the bus - my doctor says this is quite common due to air quality under the ground? So pedestrianised areas and loss of bus routes are a problem for me and I'd argue also for anyone with mobility issues, as it's often easier to bus it to the nearest stop to where you are going and not have to deal with steps etc.

Possibly the things I'd like tackled are things that are impossible to tackle, I don't know. I will say that he has stopped two housing developments in my area because their allocation of affordable housing was a joke.

sorry I'm waffling. I guess what I'm saying is, I don't think anyone will do what I'd like done in London but I definitely Khan was the best option and I thank him for listening to campaigners on the Garden Bridge.

I'm not sure how I'd compare him to Ken and Boris because frankly I was pissed off with both of them by the end of their reigns.

[ChardonnaysPrettySister]

I agree with the bus fares. I like that too.