London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan took to the pages of The Guardian yesterday to announce his unrepentant disapproval of the State visit of Donald Trump and his roving retrogression review to his beloved city, sparing no outrage at what he views as a travesty of historic proportion.
‘Praising the “very fine people on both sides” when torch-wielding white supremacists and antisemites marched through the streets clashing with anti-racist campaigners. Threatening to veto a ban on the use of rape as a weapon of war. Setting an immigration policy that forcefully separates young children from their parents at the border. The deliberate use of xenophobia, racism and “otherness” as an electoral tactic. Introducing a travel ban to a number of predominately Muslim countries. Lying deliberately and repeatedly to the public.
No, these are not the actions of European dictators of the 1930s and 40s. Nor the military juntas of the 1970s and 80s. I’m not talking about Vladimir Putin or Kim Jong-un. These are the actions of the leader of our closest ally, the president of the United States of America. This is a man who tried to exploit Londoners’ fears following a horrific terrorist attack on our city, amplified the tweets of a British far-right racist group, denounced as fake news robust scientific evidence warning of the dangers of climate change, and is now trying to interfere shamelessly in the Conservative party leadership race by backing Boris Johnson because he believes it would enable him to gain an ally in Number 10 for his divisive agenda.
Donald Trump is just one of the most egregious examples of a growing global threat. The far right is on the rise around the world, threatening our hard-won rights and freedoms and the values that have defined our liberal, democratic societies for more than seventy years. Viktor Orbán in Hungary, Matteo Salvini in Italy, Marine Le Pen in France and Nigel Farage here in the UK are using the same divisive tropes of the fascists of the 20th century to garner support, but are using new sinister methods to deliver their message. And they are gaining ground and winning power and influence in places that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.”
Khan then lashes out, correctly calling Trump the figure head of of the global far-right movement, Steve Bannon his unkempt carnival barker, and conservatives in England his enablers.
He goes on to acknowledge that it is too late to stop drumpf from befouling England’s shores but calls on PM Theresa May to show some political courage and issue a rejection of Trump and his far right agenda.
Unrealistic as that may be he summarizes why it is imperative that she do so:
”History teaches us of the danger of being afraid to speak truth to power and the risk of failing to defend our values from the rise of the far right. At this challenging time in global politics, it’s more important than ever that we remember that lesson.”
The Guardian is still a free click and I encourage everyone to jump over and read all of the mayor’s words.
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Good informative article .
I’m still hoping Prince Harry will punch him in the nose.
🙂
Mayor Khan, I don’t know about trump’s invite being very un- British but you must admit, that your country like America is very racist towards people of color. Racism inites white people so it’s not surprising to see trump with the royals or conservatives in your country. Most people hate him here in America. You can bet on that.