Posted on 05/06/2016 2:40:08 PM PDT by HomerBohn
LONDON — Labour candidate Sadiq Khan has been elected Mayor of London, beating his Conservative opponent Zac Goldsmith.
Khan, 45, replaces flamboyant Conservative Boris Johnson after a race characterised by allegations of extremism and racism.
Goldsmith called Khan — who is Muslim — a "radical" and accused him of giving "platforms, oxygen and even cover" to Islamic extremists.
His allegations were echoed by prime minister David Cameron in the parliament, during Wednesdays' question time.
The son of a bus driver from Pakistan, Khan is a former human rights lawyer who branded himself "the British Muslim who takes the fight to the extremists."
Before the elections, he promised to be "a mayor for all Londoners," urging voters to "choose hope over fear."
A difficult campaign
Tony Travers, a local government expert at the London School of Economics, said the introduction of a directly elected London mayor 16 years ago had introduced "an American form of government" that differs from traditional British parliamentary and local government structures.
"Now intriguingly this time — and we've seen a bit of it before — it appears to have brought with it some of the harder American campaign tactics," he said ahead of the result.
A victory for Khan is a bright spot in what looks set to be a grim day for Labour, which has been out of office nationally since 2010.
Opposition parties usually gain seats in midterm elections as voters punish the sitting government. But Labour under left-wing leader Jeremy Corbyn is divided and beset by a controversy over allegations of anti-Semitism within its ranks. The claims gained new momentum when former London Mayor Ken Livingstone — a Corbyn ally — claimed that Adolf Hitler had supported Zionism before he came to power.
Livingstone, Labour lawmaker Naz Shah and several local party officials have been suspended over comments or social media posts about Israel, and Corbyn has faced renewed pressure over his links to pro-Palestinian groups.
About 2,700 local council seats are up for grabs, and Corbyn predicted last week that Labour wouldn't lose ground — but later said that "predictions are not that important."
A poor showing would bolster discontented Labour lawmakers who believe the party is heading for a third straight general election defeat in 2020 if Corbyn — a life-long socialist with strong support among the party's grass roots — is not replaced.
London 2016 = Rome 476
I agree, but at least the Muslim we got lied about it and the low information liberals fell in love with him...This guy in London came right out and said what he was...
I did...See #22 post...
No big deal! Less than 5% of the British population is Muslim. Nothing to see here. No worries. Move along now.
Back in 1932 less than 5% of the German population were Nazi Party members. If it were 1932, I’d say that there is nothing to see here. No worries. Move along now.
“This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper.”
Well, at least he’s a tea drinker.
We did it, TWICE.
On a far bigger scale.
True.
Like I said...Look at my post #22...
Ever been to London? All the white people are gone.
Your talking about obama right?
Many..., many... years ago when they decided that their "Colonials" in the "British Empire" were entitled to freely immigrate into the "Motherland"!
Great Britain began circling the drain at that point in time!
Jews will be driven out first and the muslim mayor will lecture everyone about the awful backlash against muslims.
Christians will be next.
Good bye London.
“Bad, bad deal. When they hit critical mass enough to get voted into office, the floodgates are open from now on.”
See California.
Note to self: avoid London for the time being.
And the slow self-immolation, or rather more likely, decapitation, of Europe continues...
I thought France would fall first. Thought the Brits would Never Surrender.
Europe is lost.
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