London has elected its first Muslim mayor as Sadiq Khan delivered a resounding victory for Labour, ending eight years of Conservative rule at City Hall.
Mr Khan capped an assured campaign with a convincing triumph in the final run-off over Conservative rival Zac Goldsmith, who was facing a growing backlash over a campaign which critics described as “divisive” and dependent on “dog whistle” politics.
The new Labour mayor, who succeeds Boris Johnson, fought his campaign on a promise to be “a mayor for all Londoners”.
His rival Mr Goldsmith’s campaign, by contrast, faced criticism for focusing on attempts to link Mr Khan to Islamist extremists, with whom he had in the past shared platforms or represented during his work as a lawyer. The campaign was also criticised for sending letters to voters targeted according to their ethnic group.
As the outcome of the race became clear last night, senior Conservatives joined the backlash against the Goldsmith campaign.
Sayeeda Warsi, the former party chairman and the first Muslim woman to attend Cabinet said the “appalling dog whistle campaign” had “lost us the election, our reputation and credibility on issues of race and religion”.
Lady Warsi, the former Conservative party chairman, described it as “appalling”.
SOURCE: The Independent
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