Khan and Hall issue joint call for zero tolerance of both antisemitism and Islamophobia

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and his Conservative challenger Susan Hall have issued a joint call for zero-tolerance of both antisemitism and Islamophobia in the London mayoral election.

In a move that received widespread on Monday, the pair said “fear, division and hatred” must be defeated and added that “no matter our backgrounds or our political beliefs, we are all part of the same London community”.

They spoke out to the Evening Standard after a weekend dominated by reaction to the comments of the now suspended Tory MP Lee Anderson who was condemned for suggesting Khan was controlled by “Islamists.”

The statement also came as MPs arrived back in Westminster after last week’s chaotic scenes during an SNP led debate over a Gaza ceasefire.

Khan told the London newspaper he was “confident that, working together, we will be able to stamp out antisemitism and Islamophobia, stop the march of hard-Right populism, and show that hope, unity and love will always trump fear, division and hatred.”

Hall meanwhile said:”“I may be one of Sadiq Khan’s biggest critics, but I also see the monstrous abuse he gets as one of the country’s most prominent Muslim politicians.”

She added Khan’s faith was “one of his positive characteristics, not something to be suspicious of.”

Former Tory deputy chairman Anderson was suspended after failing to apologise for saying: “I don’t actually believe that the Islamists have got control of our country, but what I do believe is they’ve got control of Khan, and they’ve got control of London.”

Former chancellor Sir Sajid Javid and ex-justice secretary Sir Robert Buckland were among those to condemn Anderson’s comments as “repugnant” and “racist”.