I know there will be many friends who supported Zac Goldsmith for very sincerely held reasons who will be feeling very sore today. He put very credible ideas on housing, on transport, and the environment. Some of which no doubt City Hall would be well minded to consider.
But there is one reality that cannot be ignored. Zac’s strategy to paint Sadiq Khan as an extremist has backfired. Sadiq is not and never was an extremist. Yes he is Muslim, he is devout, he is proud of that fact. And he never hid it. Just as I am Hindu and I am very very proud of my faith and culture. Sadiq, like me and millions of children of immigrants all love the UK, and the great world city that is London.
But in targeting Sadiq directly and with vicious innuendo Zac used and abused genuine concerns about Saftey and Security in London. His strategy fuelled prejudice and shielded the real extremists. Not good politics, not good ethics. Zac’s campaign failed us all. No wonder Londoners rejected what is being widely described as “dog whistle” politics even by his own party colleagues. And no wonder his sister Jemima in a heartfelt message questioned his integrity and that of his campaign.
The time has come to build bridges between communities that stand for the unity in diversity of London. And to now stand up forcefully to the real extremists who neither respect our diversity or ever want us to be united. Sadiq has promised us that.
We should support him in that quest and hold him to his his promise that he will be a Mayor for All Londoners. Sadiq too will be conscious of his responsibility to repair the huge damage that the Labour Party has inflicted on itself and the wider political landscape by alienated Hindu, Sikh, and Jewish communities in large parts.
Sadiq has after all the largest personal mandate of any politician in the UK – and that too, a Muslim – who would have ever thought!
