Tory Shaun Bailey accuses Sadiq Khan of ‘getting rich by suing the police’ in attack over crime-fighting record days before London mayoral election – as Labour frontrunner urges people to vote amid fears of low turnout despite huge poll lead
- Exclusive: Tory launches new attack on Labour incumbent ahead of vote
- Accused Khan of profiting from legal cases against the Metropolitan Police
- Bailey questions if Khan has ‘the right values for Londoners, to make us safe’
Sadiq Khan was accused of ‘getting rich by suing the police today’ as the fight to become London mayoral vote on Thursday heated up.
Tory candidate Shaun Bailey launched an attack on the Labour incumbent’s record on crime in the capital in a new election broadcast.
It accuses Mr Khan of earning £1.3million in eight years from 328 legal cases brought against the Metropolitan Police between 1996 and 2004.
The Shaun Bailey campaign cites a freedom of information request that showed Mr Khan’s former firm, Christian Khan, earned this money while he was a partner before being elected Tooting MP in 2005.
In the new video, Mr Bailey speaks to a victim of crime in London and question’s Mr Khan’s credentials to oversee the Metropolitan Police on the basis of his previous legal work.
‘The mayor of London is the police and crime commissioner for London,’ he says.
‘It makes me wonder: does he have the right values for Londoners, to make us safe?’
Screengrabs from the new election broadcast by Shaun Bailey, in which he attacks Sadiq Khan’s record as a human rights lawyer.
Tory candidate Shaun Bailey launched an attack on the Labour incumbent’s record on crime in the capital in a new election broadcast.
Mr Khan with Keir Starmer in Lewisham this morning, as he urged Londoners to come out and vote on Thursday.
He also repeats his vow to boost police numbers by 8,000, saying: ‘If criminals are not pursued and prosecuted they become bolder and bolder. It’s very important that we send a message that being a criminal in London is risky.’
In a separate interview today Mr Bailey also accused Mr Khan of being less ‘street’ than him.
‘He’s been hidden in his ivory tower, he’s a multimillionaire property landlord, great for him,’ Mr Bailey told City AM.
‘I’ve come from the street, I always ask the tough questions, I always ask the questions people are sat in their home asking.’
It comes ahead of Thursday’s vote, in which Mr Khan is expected to be comfortably re-elected.
But despite holding a lead of around 20 points he today urged Londoners to make sure they came out to vote amid fears that Covid affect turnout.
He visited a community centre in Lewisham with Labour leader Keir Starmer this morning, telling City AM: ‘This election is a tight two-horse race – only me or the Tory candidate can win and become mayor.’
In Mr Bailey’s election video he meets Laithe Jajeh, a Conservative councillor in Barnet whose family has been the victim of several burglaries.
He outlines his fears over the safety of his family home and adds: ‘This is a mayor that we have at the moment who literally got rich suing the police.
In London, Mr Khan is the bookies’ favourite to retain City Hall.
Voters choose the mayor using the supplementary vote system, picking a first and a second preference for the job.
If a candidate receives more than half of all the first choice votes they are elected. If this does not happen, the two candidates with the most first choice votes go through to another round, with second preferences from the eliminated candidates taken into account.
Voters in the capital will also elect 25 London Assembly Members.
Sir Keir Starmer today said he will ‘take full responsibility whatever the outcome’ ahead of the elections on Thursday.
‘I will take full responsibility for the results in the elections this week, I will take full responsibility for everything that the Labour Party does,’ he told reporters
‘We have had a fantastic team of candidates and people out there, members and supporters, having conversations on the doors.
‘We’ve got a number of days to go but I will take full responsibility whatever the outcome.’
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