London mayor Sadiq Khan declared himself a “proud feminist” and “ally” — “unlike the President of the USA” — and claimed climate change “impacts women and girls more than anyone else”.
“Happy International Women’s Day!” Mayor shouted to an assembly of #March4Women attendees.
“So my name is Sadiq Khan. I am the Mayor of London, and unlike the President of the USA I am a proud feminist and ally!” continued the Labour politician — who has previously been criticised for attending events where Muslim women have been forced to stand at the back.
“[C]ourage calls for courage everywhere,” he said, slightly misquoting Dame Millicent Fawcett, the women’s suffrage campaigner whose statue adorns Parliament Square.
“And that’s why it’s so important at a time when around the world we have regressive and repressive forces; at a time when around the world we have the rise of nativist populist movements, trying to turn back the clock around equality, trying to turn black the clock around feminism, us men stand shoulder to shoulder for women and girls,” he said.
“You know, through my life, the frustration has been the lack of progress — but I tell you this: we’re living in a time when we’re going backwards, not forwards, and that’s why I’m really proud we’re a beacon for the rest of the world on International Women’s Day.”
“We’ve gotta make sure we have zero tolerance towards sexism… discrimination… misogyny,” he said — before segueing abruptly to the subject of climate change.
“[W]e know there’s a consequence to climate change, and it impacts women and girls more than anyone else,” he said, without explaining how he could back up this claim.
“Climate change, to me, is an issue that is a climate emergency… we need climate justice,” he said — again without taking the time to explain what this was supposed to mean.
“If we get climate justice and address this gender justice but also there’s an issue of social justice as well,” he continued, confusingly.
“And that’s in City Hall we have declared a climate emergency. We are the first major city in the world to make sure we have a climate action plan,” he claimed.
“I have said we’re going to reach zero carbon by 2030, and in my budget last week I set aside £50 million for a Green New Deal,” he boasted.
This received cheers from the assembled crowd, but has been criticised in other quarters, with London Assembly member David Kurten questioning why so much money is being allocated to the policy when London is in the grip of a violent crime wave — and the budget for the Violent Crime Taskforce is only £15 million.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.