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Sadiq Khan: British voters will not accept a PM involved in sleaze

London mayor says Tory MPs defending Boris Johnson should ‘look at themselves in the mirror’ Sadiq Khan
Conservative MPs defending Boris Johnson’s lack of transparency over the funding of his flat renovations should “have a look at themselves in the mirror”, Sadiq Khan has said, predicting sleaze would eventually affect support for the government.
The London mayor, who is standing for re-election next week, said it was “offensive to British voters” to claim people did not care about transparency, or that such behaviour was expected from the prime minister.
Speaking to the Guardian, Khan also said that next Thursday’s local and mayoral elections should not be viewed as a verdict on Keir Starmer’s leadership, saying the Labour leader was still “laying the foundations” for the party’s return.
On Friday, Starmer called for Johnson to say who had initially paid for the work on his Downing Street flat, telling reporters on a campaign visit: “Frankly, it’s getting ridiculous that the prime minister won’t simply answer the question – it’s not a difficult question.”
Conservative ministers and others have said only that Johnson “has met the costs” of the renovation work, declining to discuss what might have happened initially.
Khan said: “Those politicians who are using that script should have a look at themselves in the mirror. Boris Johnson will sooner or later be gone, and they will have to explain what they said, day after day, about his behaviour.
“Those Tories who are maybe feeling a bit smug and arrogant – they should just pause and reflect on what that means about them, and what it says, in their view, about the British public.”
He added: “I don’t think it is the case that the British public accept a prime minister who is involved in sleaze or cronyism. It’s not ‘priced in’. That is so offensive to British voters.”
The Labour mayor is the overwhelming favourite to win a second term on 6 May, although he expresses concern this could prompt supportive voters to stay at home, especially given Covid restrictions.

Labour could face a difficult time nationwide, showing little or no progress in former heartland areas and potentially losing a byelection in the parliamentary constituency of Hartlepool, a seat held by the party since it was created in 1974.
A bad night should not be viewed as a sign Starmer had failed, Khan said, arguing that sleaze allegations would eventually have an impact on poll numbers. “What people don’t realise, when you look at polls, is it takes time – the drip, drip, drip, drip. I lived through the banking crisis, I lived through the phone-hacking crisis, MPs’ expenses, and it doesn’t happen overnight.”
More generally, he said, it would take time to persuade voters sceptical of Labour to back the party, likening it to the process it went through between the defeat to John Major in 1992 and Tony Blair’s victory in 1997.
“I’ve got to be honest, speaking to Labour MPs, activists, councillors across the country, for a long period of time people weren’t listening to us, it was like white noise. We’ve got to stay calm, we shouldn’t panic. I think Keir is doing exactly the right thing.
“You’ve got to understand when you’ll get to the summit. You want to get to the summit probably around spring 2023, that’s probably when the election is going to be.
“There are various staging posts. I don’t think we should assess success or otherwise based on the results around the country on 6 May. What Keir is doing is laying the foundations for our party, repairing some of the damage done, making sure the country gives us the permission to be heard – not necessarily, at this stage, agreeing with what he’s saying, but the first stage is getting permission to be heard.”
On the plus side for Labour, Khan said, was the sense that Johnson and his government had lost touch with voters, citing quotes attributed to the prime minister’s camp that the Downing Street flat was a “John Lewis furniture nightmare” under Theresa May.
Khan worked part-time in the haberdashery department of Peter Jones, part of the John Lewis chain, when he was a student. He said: “I’m personally offended as a former John Lewis partner. This, again, is the out-of-touchness. Normally it takes 18 years for a government to become out of touch, if you’re the Tories.” Sadiq Khan
source: Peter Walker
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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