POLITICAL FIREWORKS
London mayor Khan takes aim at Brexiteers with New Year display
IT was a fireworks display calculated to anger Brexiteers, with the London Eye dramatically transformed into the EU flag.
Driving the message home, London’s Labour mayor and Remain supporter, Sadiq Khan, announced ‘London is open’ two minutes into the New Year, with the phrase repeated in Spanish, French, German, Romanian, Polish and Italian.
An 11-minute soundtrack accompanying the pyrotechnics included songs by European artists entitled We Are Your Friends, Stay and Don’t Leave Me Alone.
Mr Khan said politicians in Westminster had given ‘the impression we’re insular, inward-looking, not welcoming to Europeans’. He said the fireworks display would show the world, ‘while they’re watching us, that we’re going to carry on being open-minded, outwardlooking, pluralistic’ after Brexit.
But his comments sparked an angry backlash from those who accused him of politicising the celebrations. Tory MP Andrew Bridgen told The Sun: ‘It’s low, it’s very low to politicise what is an international public event. It’s a betrayal of democracy and it’s what we have come to expect from a very poor mayor of London.’
Across London’s 33 boroughs, 59.9% (2.26million people) voted in favour of remaining in the EU.
Mr Khan has previously expressed his backing for a second referendum and has voiced concerns over the effects of a no-deal Brexit on the British capital.
Speaking about the fireworks, Mr Khan added: ‘I think the government’s made a mess of negotiations with the European Union.
‘Bearing in mind parliament can’t resolve the issue of how we will leave the European Union, we should allow the public to take back control with the option of staying in European Union, or accepting the deal made by the government.’
He added: ‘I hope that members of parliament, members of the government will see the fireworks, will listen to the soundtrack and will reflect on what sort of country they want to live in post-March.’
He also tweeted: ‘Sending a message across the globe: London’s diversity will always be our strength. Our one million EU citizens are Londoners, they make a huge contribution, and no matter the outcome of Brexit – they will always be welcome. Happy New Year, London.’