Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, is railing against calls for Scottish independence. In a newspaper column this weekend, the Labour politician likened Scottish nationalism to racism, stating that he saw “no difference” between Scottish nationalists to anyone who tries to “divide us on the basis of our background, race, or religion.”
Despite clutching pearls over “division,” the mayor has no problem attending rallies where women are segregated from men.
Khan made his comments to the Scottish Daily Record ahead of the Scottish Labour conference in Perth. In his letter, the mayor called Scotland and London “twin beacons of progressive values and hope within the United Kingdom” for their overwhelming opposition to Brexit.
He also condemned Donald Trump, calling the US President a part of a global “rise of right-wing populist and narrow nationalist parties around the world,” and stated “It’s up to us – whether in Scotland or in London – to fight this trend.”
“We both celebrate our diversity and take pride in our tolerance. We strive for equality and to increase opportunities,” wrote Khan.
Referring to the Scottish National Party, Khan stated that “there are some in Scotland who are determined to define London as Scotland’s enemy – to turn us against each other.”
“There’s no difference between those who try to divide us on the basis of whether we’re English or Scottish and those who try to divide us on the basis of our background, race or religion,” wrote the London mayor.
“We will only succeed in turning back the tide if we do it together. Together within our communities and together across borders – working for the collective good,” added Khan. “If we are to continue to thrive, Scotland and London need to stay true to our shared progressive values.”
A spokesman for the SNP called Khan’s comments “spectacularly ill-judged” for comparing supporters of Scottish independence to supporters of Trump or Brexit—all of which are completely different issues.
“Indeed it is an insult to many former and current Labour voters,” said the spokesman. “It is only the SNP Government which is providing principled and strong opposition to the Tories’ hard Brexit obsession, while Labour run up the white flag and allow themselves to be rolled over by the Brexiteers and their right-wing agenda.”
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who leads the SNP, echoed the comments made by her party’s spokesman.
“It is an insult to all those Scots who support independence for reasons of inclusion & social justice – the antithesis of what he says,” wrote Sturgeon on Twitter. “And it is a sign of the sheer desperation and moral bankruptcy that has driven so many from Scottish Labour’s ranks. Very disappointing.”
Sadiq Khan’s rally against Scottish nationalism follows the Labour party’s accusations that Conservative candidate for mayor Zac Goldsmith mounted a “racist” campaign against Khan, who is of Pakistani descent.
Since becoming the Mayor of London, Khan hasn’t done much for the city. He’s spent much of his time virtue signaling for social justice by hand-wringing about the mythical gender pay gap, banned “sexist” ads on the London subway, and taken credit for battles his predecessor Boris Johnson fought and won.
Ian Miles Cheong is a journalist and outspoken media critic. You can reach him through social media at @stillgray on Twitter and on Facebook.
