By suggesting that Islamists had “got control of [Sadiq] Khan” and “control of London”, former Conservative Party deputy chairman Lee Anderson was speaking in patently Islamophobic terms. The Mayor is a Muslim, as are approximately 1.3 million Londoners. To remark that leaves Khan in the pocket of Islamists is racist.
Yet it is proving difficult for senior members of the Government, such as Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden, to say so. Numerous Tory MPs have criticised Anderson’s remarks. Rishi Sunak this morning called them not acceptable and “wrong”. This is true, but they were a specific genre of wrong: Islamophobic. It is a curious oversight, given that on the Government’s own website, it explicitly states that: “Islamist should not be interpreted as a reference to individuals who follow the religion of Islam.”
Writing in today’s newspaper, the Conservative candidate for London mayor, Susan Hall, rightly refers to the “monstrous abuse” Khan receives “as one of the country’s most prominent Muslim politicians”. Though Hall stops short of specifically condemning Anderson’s remarks.
London has been far from at its best recently. Incidents of anti-Jewish hatred are at record highs, while Islamophobia too has surged. What the capital and the country need is political leaders intent on condemning racism and bringing down the temperature, not stoking division.
Axe tax on London
No one likes to pay tax, but the “tourist tax” is a particular misery. The scheme, which previously permitted international tourists to reclaim VAT on their purchases, was ditched by then-chancellor Rishi Sunak in 2021.
This seemingly minor change has had major negative consequences for the capital, costing money and driving foreign visitors into the grateful arms of Paris, Milan and Barcelona. There had been hopes of a U-turn, after ministers ordered a review by the Office for Budget Responsibility.
But the mood music coming out of the Treasury is disconcerting, in part because Sunak reportedly does not want to be seen to be admitting to his mistake. Even by the standards of the Conservative Party in recent years, that would be a bizarre reason not to axe a tax on London.
Strikes off — for now
Commuters (or at least those not reliant on the Central line) rejoice: Transport for London has announced that all four unions have accepted a one-year pay deal worth up to 10 per cent. It should secure an end to the threat of strikes, at least for a while.
But there’s a sting — as a single-year agreement, paid for by money found behind the proverbial City Hall sofa, Londoners can brace themselves for further threats of industrial action later in the year.
