SADIQ KHAN FORCED INTO HUMILIATING U-TURN OVER ‘INDY VOTERS ARE RACIST’ CLAIM
LONDON mayor Sadiq Khan was forced into an embarrassing U-turn which overshadowed Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale’s keynote conference speech yesterday after he had to clarify remarks that suggested Scottish nationalism was racist.
Khan, billed as a star name, jetted into the annual conference in Perth at which Dugdale launched leadership initiatives aimed at preventing an independence referendum being called and also unveiled a proposal to use newly devolved welfare powers to increase child benefit.
However, her attempt to relaunch Scottish Labour was dealt a major blow following the damaging row over Khan likening Scottish nationalism to racism.
In a newspaper article yesterday Sadiq Khan wrote that there is “no difference” between independence supporters and those who try to “divide us on the basis of our background, race or religion”.
But in an embarrassing climbdown Khan claimed to conference delegates that he was not suggesting independence supporters were racist, but simply stating his opposition to a second independence referendum, which he claimed would be divisive. He said: “Now of course I’m not saying that nationalists are somehow racist or bigoted – but now, more than ever – what we don’t need is more division and separation.”
The Labour mayor had arrived at the conference at lunchtime amid a chaotic media scrum. He then refused to say whether he stood by the comments or if he viewed sections of the Scottish independence movement as racist.
And despite attempting to calm the storm with his clarification in his speech Khan went on to repeat some of the initial claims he had made about Scottish nationalism.
“Now’s not the time to play on people’s fears,” he said. “Or to pit one part of our country – or one section of our society – against each other.
“In that respect there’s no difference between those who try to divide us on the basis of whether we’re English or Scottish, and those who try to divide us on the basis of our background, race or religion.”
The controversy dominated the second day of conference at which Khan and UK Labour deputy leader Tom Watson delivered their speeches ahead of Dugdale’s keynote address to delegates.
Dugdale used her speech to announce the launch of a new website, TogetherStronger.scot, and a campaign initiative opposing a second referendum, that she said was “asking anyone who shares Labour’s vision, of a strong Scotland inside a reformed UK,” to sign up to.
In a hardening of the party’s opposition to a referendum, she said: “If you believe the First Minister should shelve her plans for a second referendum. Then join us.” She added: “Friends this is our movement for a new Scotland.”
DUGDALE also set out plans for a new Scottish child benefit, which she said Holyrood could deliver using newly devolved powers over welfare. Child benefit would increase by £240 per year by the end of the parliament, increasing by £13 a month next year, before rising to £20 per month in 2020.
Dugdale said: “Our plan would mean help for the majority of
families across Scotland, and would mean 18,000 fewer children living in poverty in the first year, and up to 30,000 once these changes are fully implemented.”
The row over Khan’s newspaper article provoked wide social media comment, many pointing out that Labour accused the Tories of a “racist” campaign against Khan, a Muslim, in the London mayoral contest last year, when Tory candidate Zac Goldsmith’s campaign repeatedly warned that his opponent had shared platforms with extremists.
SNP transport minister Humza Yousaf, one of only two Muslim MSPs, wrote, on social media: “When @SadiqKhan was subject to racist dog-whistle Mayoral campaign from Tories, I was amongst first to publicly back him & condemn it.”
Khan also came under fire over remarks in the same article in which he also appeared to draw comparisons between Scottish nationalism and United States President Donald Trump when he said that the “world is becoming an increasingly turbulent and divided place” with the election of Trump, the vote to quit the EU and the “rise of right-wing populist and narrow nationalist parties around the world”.
Scottish Green co-convenor Maggie Chapman said Khan’s remarks were insulting. Chapman, who hails from Zimbabwe, said: “As an immigrant I am confused and offended by Sadiq Khan’s grotesque mischaracterisation of the Scottish independence movement.
“I have never met the sort of response he alludes to, and am disgusted by his association between the Yes movement and Donald Trump’s supporters.
“Our movement is about diversity and internationalism – not joining hands with Donald Trump.”
An SNP spokesperson said: “Sadiq Khan is quite right to highlight the dangers of prejudice .
“But it is spectacularly ill-judged to compare supporters of Scottish independence to Trump or Brexiteers. Indeed it is an insult to many former and current Labour voters.
“It is only the SNP Government which is providing principled and strong opposition to the Tories’ hard Brexit obsession, while Labour run up the white flag and allow themselves to be rolled over by the Brexiteers and their right-wing agenda.”
I have never met the sort of response [Khan] alludes to, and am disgusted by his association between the Yes movement and Trump