“Islam is misunderstood by many. The extremists grab the headlines; those of us who want to practise our religion and live under this country’s laws do not make the news.”
― Sadiq Khan
“Probation is a less-well-known branch of our justice system, compared with, say, police and prisons, but that doesn’t make it any less important. Hundreds of thousands of offenders each year are rehabilitated back into society by probation, which is crucial for the public’s safety.”
― Sadiq Khan
“We should celebrate when optimism and hard work triumph over cynicism, lethargy, and fatalism.”
― Sadiq Khan
“If you’re someone who doesn’t have Muslim friends, and your only experience of Islam is what you see on the news – the angry man with a beard doing or saying something terrible – then you may inadvertently associate that with Islam and think that is what it’s all about.”
― Sadiq Khan
“Our prisons are full of people who are illiterate and innumerate, have been failed by the care system, and often have had a parent in prison.”
― Sadiq Khan
“Immigrant communities have been genuinely accepted in London.”
― Sadiq Khan
“Letting people out of prison without professional staff to oversee their rehabilitation is irresponsible.”
― Sadiq Khan
“I value loyalty and believe that internal disagreements shouldn’t be voiced in the media – because divided parties lose elections.”
― Sadiq Khan
“Change is hard and requires constant struggle and determination.”
― Sadiq Khan
“It’s too easy to dismiss Donald Trump as a buffoon – to point and laugh at a man whose worldview is as ridiculous as his hairdo. But to do so is to make light of a very serious threat.”
― Sadiq Khan
“Everyone – regardless of their background, wealth, race, faith, gender, sexual orientation or age – should be able to fulfil their potential and succeed.”
― Sadiq Khan
“A duty to the public must be to stop prisoners reoffending through successful rehabilitation.”
― Sadiq Khan
“I am deeply humbled by the hope and trust that Londoners have placed in me. I grew up on a council estate just a few miles from City Hall, and I never imagined that Londoners would one day elect someone like me to lead our great capital city.”
― Sadiq Khan
“When we are faced with adversity, when we are tested on who we are and what we stand for, we always pull together. We stand strong for our values and our way of life. We always have, and I know we always will.”
― Sadiq Khan
“The story of the British empire helps to explain the roots of most British people: white, black, and Asian.”
― Sadiq Khan
“Legal aid is crucial in ensuring those truly guilty of crimes are convicted after due process, and those innocent are able to clear their names, by ensuring that access to legal representation is available for everyone, regardless of ability to pay.”
― Sadiq Khan
“More than 300 languages are spoken in London. Religions are freely practiced. Rich and poor live on the same street, side by side. We’ve actually escaped many of the most difficult problems – integration and community cohesion.”
― Sadiq Khan
“People end up on the street for many different reasons – leaving care or hospital, problems with debt, unemployment, mental health, family breakup – and so the help they need is varied, too.”
― Sadiq Khan
“I never understood how much running changes your life. I’m now obsessed. When not trying to beat my personal best, I’m talking to other people about theirs, reading training advice or eating the perfect balance of carbs and protein.”
― Sadiq Khan
“Education is important even beyond the bounds of the opportunities it gives to the individual; it is a crucial and basic requirement for ensuring effective democracy and human rights.”
― Sadiq Khan
“Of course I am partisan in my politics, but my partisanship is rational – which, in my book, is not necessarily oxymoronic.”
― Sadiq Khan
“When I was growing up, anyone who wasn’t white was black. It meant all of us. Though when I was at university, we started to be called Asians.”
― Sadiq Khan
“London chose to come out in record numbers, the highest turnout there’s ever been in a mayoral election, and – I say this not with arrogance; it is what others have said – the single biggest mandate a British politician has ever received. That shows what a wonderful city we are.”
― Sadiq Khan
“Legal aid gets a bad press. Some rail against handing taxpayers’ money to criminals; others attack fat cat lawyers, while some argue that we spend far more on legal aid than other countries. But let’s get some facts straight: saying that legal aid is just about criminals is wrong – most goes to people before any decision is taken on their guilt.”
― Sadiq Khan
“I get selfies taken everywhere. Everywhere. I can be in A&E, and I’m still getting selfied. It’s nice, though. It’s a nice problem to have.”
― Sadiq Khan
“It’s not a bad thing for independent traders to come into a high street to mix things up, but what shouldn’t happen is that the traders who were there before are priced out.”
― Sadiq Khan
“If I’m honest, my heart and my belly are saying that you’re more likely to find me in a greasy spoon than a pop-up, but some of this pop-up stuff is great!”
― Sadiq Khan
“I used to do stand-up, actually. I had a ten-minute routine I did for a thing called ‘Stand Up for Labour’ where we’d go around different seats and use comedy to raise money. I stopped doing this routine when I started running for mayor.”
― Sadiq Khan
“My family has always been proud of being British.”
― Sadiq Khan
“Language is very important. If you are condoning acts of terror… you are giving credibility to a view that is perverse and is wrong.”
― Sadiq Khan
“When Pakistan beat England at cricket, my Pakistani cousins remind me how English and British I am. When they say, ‘You’re one of the Queen’s advisers,’ for them it’s, ‘Wow – anything’s possible in the U.K.’”
― Sadiq Khan
“I’ll be my own man and work closely with a Tory Government if it is in London’s interest.”
― Sadiq Khan
“As a British Muslim, I am no stranger to prejudice. I know what it’s like to be discriminated against just because of your background or religion.”
― Sadiq Khan
“London’s greatest strength is our diversity, and it’s wonderful to see Londoners celebrating our capital’s different traditions, determined to stand up to division.”
― Sadiq Khan
“I want our police officers to have the resources and training they need to investigate hate crime fully, and to ensure we have neighborhood police teams that understand and reflect the communities they serve.”
― Sadiq Khan
“I am proud that London is a city where, the vast majority of the time, Jewish people, Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists, those who are not members of an organized faith, black, white, rich, young, gay, lesbian – don’t simply tolerate each other but respect, embrace, and celebrate each other.”
― Sadiq Khan
“All Western cities face significant challenges on social integration. Our populations are booming, but social integration is not keeping pace. Rapid growth is a sign of our success, but it also puts stress on housing, infrastructure – and on communities.”
― Sadiq Khan
“I’m a proud Londoner, a Brit, European, of Pakistani heritage, a Muslim – we all have multiple layers of identity – that’s what makes us who we are.”
― Sadiq Khan
“Londoners, Mancunians, and Brits across the country will never, ever be cowed by terrorism.”
― Sadiq Khan
“As the mayor of London, my highest priority is keeping Londoners and visitors to our city safe from harm.”
― Sadiq Khan
“All Labour supporters and politicians know that winning elections is extremely difficult, but my first year as mayor of London has taught me that governing – driving change and delivering results – is even harder.”
― Sadiq Khan
“There is no manual on how to run a global city like London. But I’m hugely proud of what we’ve been able to achieve in just the first year.”
― Sadiq Khan
“I was fully aware of the challenges facing London before I was elected as mayor, but I didn’t anticipate the issue that is likely to define my time as mayor – Brexit.”
― Sadiq Khan
“Some people say that rough sleeping has always existed and always will – that there is nothing that can be done to stop it. That is simply not true.”
― Sadiq Khan
“London is the greatest city in the world.”
― Sadiq Khan
“I see this rise in rough sleeping and homelessness – in one of the wealthiest cities in the world – as a growing source of shame. And as Londoners, as a city, and as a country, I believe we have a moral duty to tackle it head-on.”
― Sadiq Khan
“I’ve had the honour of being elected as a Labour councillor, MP and mayor, thanks to the hard work of Labour members, and I believe that the will of our membership should be respected.”
― Sadiq Khan
“Jeremy Corbyn is a principled Labour man.”
― Sadiq Khan
“Vibrant political parties are vital to the health of our democracy.”
― Sadiq Khan
“There is a role that Muslims in the public eye play: to reassure people that we are OK.”
― Sadiq Khan
“The best way for people to understand each other’s faith is to share experiences.”
― Sadiq Khan
“Anyone who knows me knows that I’m miserable during Ramadan. Some would say I’m miserable all year round, but it does affect my mood.”
― Sadiq Khan
“Labour was founded to make the lives of working people better and to create more opportunities for everyone. Whether it’s aspiring to work as a nurse in a hospital or setting up and running your own business, Labour should be about ensuring fairness so that everyone has the same chance in life to reach their goals.”
― Sadiq Khan
“Labour has to be a big tent that appeals to everyone – not just its activists.”
― Sadiq Khan
“I grew up on a council estate in south London; my dad was a bus driver and my mum sewed clothes to bring in extra money. My parents worked hard and were able to save up and buy a home for our family.”
― Sadiq Khan
“If I become mayor of London, my single biggest priority will be to build thousands more homes every year. I will set a target to make half of all the new homes that are built genuinely affordable, with first dibs for Londoners.”
― Sadiq Khan
“As someone who lives with adult-onset asthma, I know how bad air quality in the capital has become. I want to be the greenest mayor London has ever had – it is not acceptable that 10,000 people die in London every year because our air is so filthy.”
― Sadiq Khan
“Every time there is a terrorist incident involving evil fanatics who abuse the name of Islam, ordinary, law-abiding Muslims pay a heavy price.”
― Sadiq Khan
“I don’t just empathise with the victims of Islamophobia; I worry about my own friends and family.”
― Sadiq Khan
“Being subjected to Islamophobic abuse makes integration less likely and amplifies the views of the extremists rather than the mainstream. It’s divisive and dangerous and puts British lives at risk.”
― Sadiq Khan
“Labour is at its best when we understand how the country has changed and we adapt to new circumstances.”
― Sadiq Khan
“Like most people, my parents were only able to fulfil their dreams because there was support. A council home so they could save for a deposit to buy a home of their own. Fantastic local state schools where my own daughters go now. Affordable university places and good quality apprenticeships.”
― Sadiq Khan
“Opportunity must be underpinned by security – and Labour must offer that security.”
― Sadiq Khan
“Labour allowed ourselves to be painted as anti-business for talking about insecurity, when in reality, the opposite was true.”
― Sadiq Khan
“Thousands of people’s lives improved in this country through human rights laws. Individual people taking on the all-powerful state and winning. You’d think a very Tory thing to do. Sadly not, under Cameron’s leadership.”
― Sadiq Khan
“Labour accepts that the European Court of Human Rights needs reform.”
― Sadiq Khan
“Only Labour is in a position to protect individual rights against abuses by the state.”
― Sadiq Khan
“You know that running bug people talk about? Well, I’ve been well and truly bitten.”
― Sadiq Khan
“My morning runs have become one of the only times I have during the week to reflect and take stock.”
― Sadiq Khan
“Victims want to know that the true perpetrators of their crime are convicted – legal aid helps achieve this.”
― Sadiq Khan
“Legal aid is central to righting wrongs and rectifying injustice.”
― Sadiq Khan
“Betting shops have a big impact on encouraging on-street drinking and can often become a centre for disorder and anti-social behaviour.”
― Sadiq Khan
“Minority ethnic issues need to be mainstream issues.”
― Sadiq Khan
“I welcome an arms race for minority ethnic voters. This will ensure we all raise our game.”
― Sadiq Khan
“The U.K. has some of the best protections in law for religious groups in the world. They aren’t perfect, but they provide a strong basis for religious groups to be free from fear of discrimination. I’m proud of this because it underpins what is decent about our country.”
― Sadiq Khan
“Major miscarriages of justice have occurred because of the absence of proper legal representation.”
― Sadiq Khan
“We cannot afford to have the confidence of the public, victims, and witnesses in our justice system undermined because the wrong people are being found guilty and the real criminals are wandering the streets.”
― Sadiq Khan
“Being reliant on legal aid is probably inconceivable to most of us. But this is no different from other branches of the welfare state established at the same time as our legal aid system – being diagnosed with a major illness and needing the NHS, or losing a job and needing the support of social security.”
― Sadiq Khan
“Voting, for me, has always been a family affair.”
― Sadiq Khan
“I look forward to the day that I can go with my daughters to the polling station for them to cast their first vote.”
― Sadiq Khan
“Victims of crime and the wider community deserve a grown-up debate on our criminal justice system and how we can make it work – for those within it and for those it protects.”
― Sadiq Khan
“The U.K. has some of the toughest legislation on hate crime in the world, and it is there to keep us all safe.”
― Sadiq Khan
“I did not come into Parliament to be a Muslim MP. And I have never set myself up as a Muslim spokesperson or community leader. Just as ordinary citizens have multiple identities, so do MPs.”
― Sadiq Khan
“It is the Labour party that has always sought to address the problems facing British Muslims, because we believe it is one of our primary functions to tackle the problems faced by the most vulnerable in our society.”
― Sadiq Khan
“For too long, some lazy politicians have engaged leaders of Muslim communities as a shortcut to engaging disenfranchised Muslim citizens.”
― Sadiq Khan
“I challenge British Muslims to accept that as strongly as they feel about Iraq or counter-terrorism measures, poverty and inequality have the biggest impact on the lives of the majority of British Muslims and do the most to prevent potential being fulfilled.”
― Sadiq Khan
“People need to be able to read what their rights are, to be able to participate and hold their governments to account.”
― Sadiq Khan
“Women with opportunities are women who can contribute.”
― Sadiq Khan
“I used to be a human rights lawyer and acted for many black Londoners who had been victims of discrimination.”
― Sadiq Khan
“It is not enough to pay lip service to diversity.”
― Sadiq Khan
“Muslims, like most other voters, don’t just want ‘one of their own,’ they want someone who best represents their values.”
― Sadiq Khan
“As an ethnically Asian Muslim, born and bred in this country, I am British. I have never felt a conflict between my country, my religion, and my background.”
― Sadiq Khan
“We should recognise the mirrors of exclusion and mirrors of extremism in our society. The inequalities and disadvantages among visible minorities are also prevalent in the white working class. Political extremism and disengagement is mirrored between white and ethnic minority communities.”
― Sadiq Khan
“I’ve spent my entire adult life encouraging minority communities to get involved in mainstream society, civic society.”
― Sadiq Khan
“London made my family and myself.”
― Sadiq Khan
“One of the things that’s important to me as a Londoner is making sure my family, people I care about, are safe.”
― Sadiq Khan
“My experience in relation to taking on the preachers of hate was saying to them it’s compatible being British, being Western, being Muslim.”
― Sadiq Khan
“I think Bill de Blasio is doing interesting housing stuff in New York, Rahm Emanuel is doing interesting stuff with the infrastructure bank in Chicago. I want to go to America to meet with and engage with American mayors.”
― Sadiq Khan
“I’ve been blessed – every job I’ve had I’ve loved, whether it’s as a lawyer, MP, cabinet minister.”
― Sadiq Khan
“The 19th century was the century of empires, the 20th was the century of nation states, and the 21st is the century of cities and mayors.”
― Sadiq Khan
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