UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy defends London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan, dismissing US President Donald Trump’s harsh criticism of his leadership.
As reported by Sky News, Cabinet Minister Lisa Nandy strongly rejected President Trump’s surprising attack on London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan, expressing pride in his achievements.
Amid the long-running clash with Mr Khan, President Trump argued that the London Mayor was elected largely due to the city’s migrant community, adding,
“Look at… your Mayor of London. He’s a disaster. He’s a disaster.”
How did Lisa Nandy respond to Donald Trump’s criticism of Sir Sadiq Khan?
During an interview, when asked about President Trump’s harsh remarks labeling Sir Sadiq Khan as
“horrible, vicious, and incompetent,”
Lisa Nandy responded,
“I strongly disagree with those comments.”
She said,
“Sadiq is doing a really good job and has been at the forefront of providing affordable housing, improvements to transport.”
Ms Nandy added,
“Transport in London, I say this as someone who lives in the North of England, we would love to have some of the transport infrastructure that Sadiq has overseen. He has been one of the people who has set up multi-agency approaches to help young people with knife crime, gang violence, that we are learning from in Government.”
The Culture Secretary described President Trump’s comments on the London Mayor as “wrong,” adding that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer would also disagree, though he has not publicly defended Mr Khan.
“Sadiq is doing an incredibly good job for London, we are proud of our mayors,”
Ms Nandy stressed.
She also countered President Trump’s claim, stating that the UK is not struggling to control immigration.
In an interview, the Culture Secretary also commented on the government’s strategy for young people, particularly in light of Australia’s upcoming social media ban for under-16s.
Ms Nandy said the government is
“obviously keeping a very close eye on the way this is playing out in Australia,” while admitting that “young people are really struggling with the amount of time that they spend online and what is happening to them online.”
When questioned about plans for a social media ban for young people, the Culture Secretary said there are “no plans” to introduce such measures.
She added that this does not mean the government has “closed its mind to further action,” warning that banning social media might drive young people to “alternative platforms and spaces.”
The Cabinet Minister insisted the government is serious about the issue, highlighting a £500 million commitment to support the youth strategy.
Ms Nandy added,
“We’ve got young people who are online, they’ve grown up entirely as an online generation for the first time. And they are not only the most connected generation in history, but they’re also the most isolated. That is the stark challenge that we’re having to confront.”
“So giving every young person in this country places to go, things to do, and people who they trust, who can help them to navigate the complex system of growing up today is, I believe, the right approach,”
the Culture Secretary continued.
What did Donald Trump say about Sir Sadiq Khan’s leadership?
In a renewed attack on Sir Sadiq Khan, President Donald Trump branded him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor,” criticizing UK immigration.
He said,
“He gets elected because so many people have come in [to the UK]. They vote for him now.”
Mr Trump added,
“He’s a horrible mayor. He’s an incompetent mayor, but he’s a horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor. I think he’s done a terrible job. London’s a different place. I love London. I love London. And I hate to see it happen.”
President Trump has repeatedly attacked Mr Khan since 2015, after the Labour politician condemned his proposal for a Muslim travel ban to the US.
During a state visit to the UK in September, Mr Trump described the London Mayor as among “the worst mayors in the world” and suggested that London seek to adopt “sharia law.”
How did Sir Sadiq Khan respond to Donald Trump’s latest attacks?
Sir Sadiq Khan, who has previously tried to dismiss President Trump’s attacks, highlighted that a record number of Americans are coming to London.
He said,
“The one part that President Trump has got right is that London is becoming a different place. We are the greatest city in the world.”
Mr Khan added,
“I suspect that’s one of the reasons why we have record numbers of Americans coming here to holiday, coming here to live, coming here to invest, or coming here to study.”
“I literally have no idea why President Trump is so obsessed with this Mayor of London. I’m not sure what he’s got against a liberal, progressive, diverse, successful city like London,”
the London Mayor continued.
What did Donald Trump say about Europe and migration challenges?
President Trump, in a recent interview, described Europe as “decaying” and led by “weak” leaders.
He said,
“I think they’re weak. But I also think that they want to be so politically correct. I think they don’t know what to do. Europe doesn’t know what to do.”
Mr Trump claimed that cities like London and Paris are facing challenges from migration from Africa and the Middle East, warning that European nations “will not be viable countries any longer.”
Number 10 dismissed claims that the UK is “decaying” and highlighted Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s “strong” relationship with the US president.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper praised Europe’s resilience after Donald Trump described continental nations as “decaying” and “weak” in an attack on America’s traditional allies.
When did Sir Sadiq Khan become Mayor of London?
Sir Sadiq Khan became the Mayor of London on 9 May 2016 and is currently serving his third consecutive term in office. He belongs to the working-class Pakistani immigrants.
Mr Khan served as the Labour Party MP for Tooting in South London from 2005 until he was elected mayor in 2016. He held several senior positions, including Minister of State for Transport and, in the opposition’s Shadow Cabinet, Shadow Secretary of State for Justice.