Londoners 'anxious' about outcome of US election, says mayor, as protesters deface embassy
Donald Trump’s win shows the need to build a world where “racism and hatred is rejected”, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said.
The mayor and the US president-elect have had a long-running feud dating back to before Mr Trump’s first term in the White House.
After Mr Trump claimed victory over Kamala Harris on Wednesday, Mr Khan said he understands “many Londoners will be anxious” and “fearful about what it will mean for democracy and for women’s rights”.
He said they may also have concerns about what a Trump victory means for “the situation in the Middle East or the fate of Ukraine”, while “others will be worried about the future of Nato or tackling the climate crisis”.
Mr Khan said: “London is – and will always be – for everyone. We will always be pro-women, pro-diversity, pro-climate and pro-human rights.
“London is a place where we’re proud of our diversity, proud of the contribution of all our communities and proud of our spirit of unity. These are some of the values that will continue to bind us together as Londoners.
“The lesson of today is that progress is not inevitable.
“But asserting our progressive values is more important than ever – re-committing to building a world where racism and hatred is rejected, the fundamental rights of women and girls are upheld, and where we continue to tackle the crisis of climate change head on.”
Mr Khan’s spat with Mr Trump dates back to at least 2015, when the Labour politician condemned the then presidential hopeful’s suggestion that Muslims should be banned from travelling to the US.
After Mr Khan’s election in 2016, the mayor described Mr Trump’s views on Islam as “ignorant”, prompting the US tycoon to challenge him to an IQ test.
The spat intensified following the 2017 London Bridge terror attack when Mr Trump said: “At least seven dead and 48 wounded in terror attack and Mayor of London says there is ‘no reason to be alarmed!’.”
Mr Khan had actually said the public should not be alarmed by an increased police presence in the wake of the atrocity.
The mayor’s spokesman said Mr Khan had “more important things to do than respond to Donald Trump’s ill-informed tweet”.
But Mr Trump claimed the mayor’s explanation of the comment was a “pathetic excuse”.
In 2018, Mr Khan’s office gave permission for an inflatable depicting Mr Trump as a baby to fly in Parliament Square as the US president visited the UK.
On the eve of his visit, the president told The Sun Mr Khan had “done a very bad job on terrorism”.
In June 2019, during Mr Trump’s official state visit to the UK, the president reignited the row before even setting foot on British soil.
Moments before he stepped off the plane, the president tweeted that Mr Khan “has done a terrible job as Mayor of London” and was “a stone cold loser who should focus on crime in London, not me”.
Mr Khan responded: “I’m not 12 years old in a playground, I’m just surprised Donald Trump thinks he is.”
Later that month, Mr Trump said Mr Khan was “a disaster” and a “national disgrace” after a spate of violence in London, where three men were killed in separate attacks in less than 24 hours.
In protest at Mr Trump's re-election on Wednesday Just Stop Oil supporters defaced the US embassy building in London with orange paint.
Above: Video from X - Just Stop Oil
A wall outside the building in Nine Elms was seen partially covered with orange paint and Just Stop Oil released pictures of two men being spoken to by police officers.
The environmental activists say they are demanding governments work together to “end the extraction and burning of oil, gas and coal by 2030”.
A spokesman said: “The only real winner of today’s election is the corporate power that controls the major parties in both the US and UK.
“Regardless of who sits in the White House, corporations and billionaires will ensure that the interests of the fossil fuel industry will continue to be prioritised over the wellbeing of ordinary people.
“It is only through people coming together to disrupt ‘business as usual’ that humanity will stand any chance of minimising the effects of climate breakdown, and the resulting social collapse that is already under way.”
They added: “As long as democracy is hijacked by corporate interests and billionaires, it will fail to deliver the change ordinary people are crying out for.
“This will always leave the door open for fake populists like Trump to exploit the disaffection many feel.
“Ordinary people have to step up, get organised and make change happen, because it should be clear by now – no political leaders are coming to save us.”
It came after Mr Trump declared he had won a “magnificent victory for the American people”.
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