James Cleverly has slammed Sadiq Khan on his record as London Mayor, accusing him of being “asleep at the wheel” and “10m people being failed”.
The home secretary spoke at a lunch event for journalists on Thursday and was asked to defend Conservative candidate Susan Hall who was accused of “ducking scrutiny” having cancelled several interviews with Times Radio.
But Cleverly – himself a former Greater London Assembly (GLA) member – instead mounted a furious broadside against the Labour incumbent who is campaigning for a record third term at City Hall.
“People are criticising Susan for not putting herself up for scrutiny, yet radio silence with Sadiq Khan,” he said.
“If you look me in the eye and tell me that person has been properly scrutinised by the media in London or otherwise, I’ll turn around and go ‘yeah, you’re wrong’.
“You guys [the media] have not done your job well enough when it comes to the mayor of London…. where is the coverage?”
Cleverly then hit out at Khan’s record on tackling knife crime and increasing police numbers.
He said: “What about the last eight years? Knife crime is coming down across the whole of the UK, except for, checks notes, London. Police numbers going up across the whole of the UK except for, once again, in London.
“The bottom line is the guy’s been asleep at the wheel and doing the occasionally punchy social media clip, slating Donald Trump when he was president…I’ve heard him talk more about Gaza than black kids getting murdered in southeast London – unacceptable, unacceptable.”
This is our capital city. 10 million people being failed, unremarked upon largely by the media, and then people turn around and say ‘oh Susan hasn’t put herself up for scrutiny’. Nah, nah, I don’t buy that.”
A spokesperson for Khan told City A.M.: “These are vile comments about the deaths of children that do not deserve the dignity of a response.”