Keir Starmer has criticized Donald Trump’s recent comments attacking London Mayor Sadiq Khan, calling them “absurd.” The US President made inflammatory remarks about Mr. Khan, suggesting that London’s leaders are pushing for Sharia law, which Mr. Khan vehemently denied, accusing Trump of racism and Islamophobia.
In response to ITV London’s inquiry about Trump’s statements, Starmer defended the Mayor, praising him as a “decent individual.” Trump’s verbal assault on Mr. Khan occurred at the UN General Assembly shortly after his second state visit to the UK.
Starmer stated, “While there are areas where the President and I see eye to eye and collaborate, this issue is not one of them. The notion of implementing Sharia law is baseless. Sadiq Khan is a commendable figure who is effectively reducing serious crime.”
When asked whether he concurred with Mr. Khan’s assessment that the US President is sexist, racist, and Islamophobic, Starmer declined to engage in a verbal sparring match. Emphasizing the importance of the US-UK relationship, Starmer expressed support for London and its Mayor, highlighting their positive contributions.
During his speech, Trump criticized London’s mayor as “terrible” and implied significant negative changes in the city. In response, Mr. Khan questioned why he seemed to occupy Trump’s thoughts, given his leadership of a diverse, progressive, and successful city.
Mr. Khan further characterized Trump as displaying racist, sexist, misogynistic, and Islamophobic tendencies in his actions and rhetoric.