UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Reform UK’s Mark Hoath condemned London Mayor Sadiq Khan for rejecting Nigel Farage’s debate challenge, calling his record on crime “shameful.”
As reported by GB News, Sir Sadiq Khan faces accusations of “cowardice” for avoiding a debate with Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.
What did Mark Hoath say about Sadiq Khan’s refusal to debate?
Mark Hoath, Reform UK Chairman for Sutton Coldfield, said the Mayor failed to control the city’s crime, calling the job “disastrous.”
Referring to his refusal to debate Mr Farage, he said,
“London is the capital of the UK, so it is kind of the camera on the UK that the whole world sees. London is everybody’s capital.”
Mr Hoath stated,
“And as Nigel Farage is leader of the current party, romping it in the polls with clear leads over all of the rest of the parties, it’s a valid question for him to ask, because London is ours.”
He described Mr Khan’s record as Mayor as “shameful” and said it was “not surprising” that he declined the invitation.
Mr Hoath said,
“I can understand why Sadiq Khan would run away and not want to have it because frankly, his record is shameful. And so once again he wants to dodge, show cowardice and run away from the question. So it’s no surprise that he’s turned it down, because that’s just basically what he does.”
He stated,
“He can’t be held to account, he doesn’t want to be held to account, because he’s doing such a disastrous job in London, the capital of the UK, all of the UK citizens’s capital.”
Mr Hoath raised concerns over increasing crime in London, he said he fears for his daughter’s safety in the capital, adding,
“I don’t live in London, but I used to live in London. My daughter lives in London, which is a constant worry, particularly with some of these crime figures.”
He added,
“But it’s everybody’s capital in the UK, and therefore Nigel is quite right in asking for a debate, in terms of he’s the leading politician in the country at the moment and therefore he’s going to ask the debate.”
What did Karl Hansen say about Sadiq Khan’s refusal to debate?
Karl Hansen, a political adviser, argued that debating other politicians is not part of the Mayor’s responsibilities.
He said,
“I love a good political debate, but there’s a time and a place for them, and there’s a sort of current right-wing fixation with London, wanting to portray it as a lawless hellhole to make wider points about crime and immigration.”
Mr Hasnen added,
“And we can all understand why it’s in Nigel Farage’s interest to have a big culture war right on the television about these issues, but that’s got nothing to do with the interests of the people of London. And quite frankly, it’s not really anything to do with Sadiq Khan’s job, which is to run the city he was elected to represent.”
Nigel Farage’s challenge to Sadiq Khan
The Reform UK leader launched a six-week campaign focused on addressing crime and punishment.
He said,
“Labour have been in government for over a year. Sadiq Khan has nowhere to hide any more – the blame for his record in office lies solely at his feet. He has failed Londoners. London is lawless and London needs Reform.”
Mr Farage used social media to call out Mr Khan for a debate on crime, claiming the capital has become “lawless under his watch.”
How did Sadiq Khan respond to Nigel Farage’s debate challenge?
A spokesman for Sir Sadiq stated,
“The Mayor is too busy working for Londoners to get crime down to get involved in political stunts. Nothing’s more important to the Mayor than keeping Londoners safe. Sadiq is determined to do all he can to tackle crime and its complex causes, which is why he has invested record sums in the police and in providing positive opportunities for young people.”
They added,
“Sadiq is building on the progress that’s been achieved in London with the number of young people being injured with a knife, homicides, lethal barrel discharge and burglary all down since 2016.”
Key facts about crime in London
- London’s overall crime rate is 132.2 crimes per 1,000 people. Inner London has an even higher rate at 139.9 per 1,000.
- Violent crime makes up 22.5% of all crimes, but it is still 15% lower than the national average.
- Shoplifting is the fastest-growing crime, increasing by 35.5% over the past year to nearly 90,000 cases.
- Pickpocketing and theft from people are much higher in London, over five times the national average, with about 100,000 incidents reported.