Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has lashed out at London Mayor Sadiq Khan, calling him ‘deluded’ over his claim that London is the greatest city in the world.
Farage made the comments during a live briefing where he introduced Reform’s mayoral candidate for the City of London, Laila Cunningham.
“If Sadiq Khan thinks that London today is the greatest city in the world, he is deluded and he [ought] to get out more and meet people,” Farage said.
“I honestly believe that Khan, the Labour government, the Conservative opposition… have genuinely lost sight of just how negative the perception is of London.”
He pointed to the exodus of professionals who have moved to places such as Dubai, arguing that they will not move back until they believe that London is safe.
Cunningham aims to challenge Sadiq Khan on issues of crime and safety, stating that she plans to restore London to “its former glory”.
Asked what period she was alluding to, Cunningham said when she was growing up London was safer, and she knew her local police officer and neighbours.
“I’ll be launching an all out war on crime,” Cunningham said.
“I will set clear, high-level priorities for the Met to focus on tackling knife crime, drugs, robbery, rape. And I will task the Met Police with targeting, hunting and prosecuting rape gangs in London.”
She accused Sadiq Khan of using accusations of racism as a shield against criticism of London, saying that he accused anyone who believes London is dangerous of being far-right or racist.
“He ludicrously says that criticism of his record is because he’s Muslim and we are all Islamophobic. Frankly, it’s an insult to victims and to Londoners,” Cunningham said.
It should be noted that many elements of crime in London have declined under Khan’s leadership.
The city’s most recent homicide statistics reflect the lowest number of murders since records began, as well as a continued drop in knife crime and other violent crime related to young people.
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