BY GABRIEL PRINCEWILL
Sadiq Khan has emerged the winner of the election for London Mayor, it was confirmed just after midnight early this morning.
The good news was affirmed to the former Labour candidate, six hours after the result had become clear because of alleged “discrepancies”.
The former Labour front bencher received a total of 1,310,143 votes – 57% of the total – compared to Zac Goldsmith’s 994,614, after capital had its largest ever turnout at 45.6%
The triumphant first Muslim Mayor took the podium, and said: “Thank you London. London is the greatest city in the world. I am so proud of our city. I am deeply humbled by the hope and trust you have placed in me today.
I want every single Londoner to get the opportunities that our city gave to me and my family. The opportunities not just to survive, but to thrive.
Khan had endured criticism from Mr. Goldsmith for sharing a platform with so-called Islamic extremists. In an ironic turn of events, Mr. Goldsmith was compelled to congratulate his successful former opponent for his victory.
CRITICISM
However, Khan did not spare Goldsmith from criticism over what he called negative campaigning – the dubbed dog whistle tactics.
The new London mayor said: “This election was not without controversy and I am so proud that London has today chosen hope over fear and unity over division.”I hope that we will never be offered such a stark choice again. Fear doesn’t make us safer, it only makes us weaker, and the politics of fear is simply not welcome in our city.
DEFIANCE
Britain’s first candidate, Paul Golding, turned his back in defiance during Mr Khan’s speech after the declaration of results. In better spirits was Khan’s Predecessor Boris Johnson, who earlier congratulated Khan after he thanked the capital for his eight years in office. Corbyn was equally congratulatory of Khan. The Labour leader tweeted ” can’t wait to work with you to create a London that is fair for all. #YesWeKhan.
BEGINNINGS
Khan, the son of a bus driver, comes from humble beginnings and went on to achieve great things. A law graduate from the University of London, he worked as a solicitor, specializing in Human Rights. In 2008, he was appointed minister of State for communities, then in 2010, he was admitted inti the Shadow Cabinet of Ed Milliband.
Under the auspices of Milliband, the former Labour leader, Khan served as Minister of State for Transport, then in a series of promoted posts, progressed to becoming the Shadow Secretary of State for Justice, then the Shadow Minister of London in the same year. The transition from one post to another eventually culminated in his decision to resign from the Shadow Cabinet to seek nomination for the Labour party’s Mayoral candidature- an office he finally occupies today.
His election as London Mayor is perceived as the biggest possible mandate of any politician in UK history. Khan has the challenging task of uniting London and distancing himself completely from extremists, also ingeniously addressing the issues of disaffected British Muslims, whilst wholly denouncing and doing all in his power to contribute to the total disbanding of any extremist groups in British Universities, British jails or anywhere, not only in London, but in the UK.
OBJECTIVES
khan will also be expected to champion the customary objectives of making London a better place for all visitors who live in the City, create affordable housing, and opportunities for young people to excel more. He will be expected to liaise with the Minister of education, Nicky Morgan, in marshaling an effective plan to address the issue of failing schools in London. The recent back clash against Morgan’s reversed policy on translating all schools to academies by 2020, should not be an obstacle.
He must find insightful and innovative mechanisms to tackle the growing problem of gang culture in London by understanding some of the root causes and effectively addressing them. It will be no easy road but he will have to operate smart and hard to make his mark.
FAVORITE
Khan, a bookies favorite from the outset, has been presented with a golden opportunity to leave a legacy as Mayor of London. His tenure in the post will not be without its challenges How he will gel with Presidential hopeful, Donald Trump, in the event the latter ascends to the White House early next year, will be very interesting to see. It might be a case of ying and yang.
The eye of media.com congratulate Mr. Khan on his journey as Mayor of London. Finally, it is somewhat interesting is the coincidence that he won the post on the same day another Khan-Amir Khan challenges Colozzo Alvarez for the middleweight championship belt. Perhaps it is a sign of providence that the boxer will be victorious in his clash tonight, in which he is the betting underdog.
As for Sadiq Khan, he has already won his own competitive contest. The clock has started ticking.
