Londoners will head to the polls on May 6 to elect their next Mayor.
On Wednesday night (24 March) BBC held a debate with Sadiq Khan the Labour Party candidate running for re-election and the Conservative Party candidate, Shaun Bailey.
Looking at key issues that London faces such as crime, pandemic and transport. The debate started with candidates both agreeing that a “greater education” for young men was needed to improve safety for women in London in the light of the killing of Sarah Everard.
Khan pointed out Bailey was “the youth and crime advisor to David Cameron and George Osborne” during the years of austerity, when “the cuts began to our police services and youth service”. Stating that the increase of violent crime was not isolated solely in London, but across the country crime has risen since then.
Bailey countered “If the streets are not safe that’s the responsibility of the mayor,” he said. “Safe streets in London aren’t a luxury, they’re a necessity.”
The candidate then looked out the need to get London up and running again as the country moves out of a lockdown .
Having two different approaches Bailey made it clear that he believed that confusion messages on safety by Khan made Londoners afraid to use public transport, which had hurt businesses. Stating that recovery needs to balance the “safety of individuals and the safety of our economy”.
Calling his opponent a “lockdown sceptic” for publicly calling for London to remain open ahead of the second period of national restrictions, Khan hit back he costed plan to “build London back better after the pandemic”.
The discussion moved on to transport, Khan highlighting that over the last 4 years his policies as Mayor have seen benefits like toxic air reduced by a third in the capital, keeping travel free for under 18 and over 60.
Bailey stated that 4.5 million Londoners do not see a fare freeze and this benefited tourist, he also believed that the government does not trust the mayor and saying “then you cannot get a good deal for London,”
In the final comments of the debate the candidates were asked if they respected each other.
Bailey said “For me its not personal of course I respect Sadiq. His got a big job, he’s the Mayor of London, he has things to do” going onto add “one of the great thing about the London Assembly is how collegiate we work together.”
Khan said:“I’ve got to be honest, some of the things Shaun has said about Eid, about Diwali, about women, about girls, about multiculturalism, about those that receive benefits, I get deeply upset by. They’re not my values, they’re not London’s values and I hope Londoners reject those values on May 6.”
With London being the UK’s most multicultural city, he used his final comments to address heavy criticised comments Bailey has made in the previously regarding religion and culture as well as towards females and those reciveing benefits, which have rasied concerns.
But criticisms between the candidates were not the only ones received, the BBC has been criticised for holding a debate with the two main candidate with 20 in total. Many also took to social media to voice their displeasure of the failure to have a female present, especially when crime and women’s safety is a key topic for the many in the capital in light of the disappearance and killing of Sarah Everard.