Katy Balls Katy Balls

‘Weaponising Jewish people is wrong’: Sadiq Khan on anti-Semitism, Ulez and the upcoming electoral battle

[Getty Images] 
issue 14 October 2023

For most of this year it was widely accepted that the Tories had given up on London. Sadiq Khan seemed unbeatable and the party’s hunt for a mayoral candidate to run against him became a farce as various ‘big names’ refused to run. Then Daniel Korski, the frontrunner for the candidacy, had to drop out over a #MeToo row and it fell to Susan Hall to lead the charge. And yet, despite the political drama, the Tories are within touching distance of victory at City Hall – just a couple of points behind Labour in the polls. London looks winnable.

‘Nobody likes to be unpopular, but you’ve got to have your moral compass’

When I meet Khan for an interview in front of an audience at Labour party conference, he tells me he’s taking nothing for granted. ‘I’m the least complacent person you will find,’ he says. ‘Why is it going to be tough? The government has deliberately changed the rules of the game and moved the goalposts to make it more difficult.

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