By, Sandy Rashty
2 min read
BySandy Rashty, Sandy Rashty
Sadiq Khan has voiced his concerns about security and racism in the wake of the Brexit vote.
He has also called on the UK government to give him “a seat around the table” during Brexit negotiations.
The London Mayor made the comments after the UK voted to leave the European Union on Friday morning.
Asked whether the vote posed a risk to the safe of London and its Jewish community, Mr Khan told the JC: “One of the things I have said to the government - because London is unique to the rest of the country, we are the capital city and we are the only region in England who voted to remain - is it is really important when it comes to negotiating the new deal with the EU, London has a seat around the table.
“Because, we have got concerns in relation to our safety as a capital city, but also in relation to our economy.”
He made the comments after Rabbi Menachem Margolin, of the European Jewish Congress, warned that Britain’s exit from the EU could lead to a spike in antisemitism,a move that was “deeply worrying for Jews across Europe".
Mr Khan, the former Communities Minister, continued: "It is a fact that us being a member of the European Union brings huge [security] benefits.
"I have seen the co-operation that takes place in relation to: sharing intelligence, making sure there is no intelligence that is breached, when it comes to extraditing people to this country.
“When it comes to the new deal we negotiate with the EU, whatever that may be, to see if we can negotiate things that keep us safe.
"So for example, if we are out of the EU, we will no longer be a member of the European Arrest Warrant treaty. So we have to negotiate with the other 27 countries a treaty”. He added: "It’s really important."
Mr Khan also acknowledged that an economic slump could undermine community cohesion; noting an increase in “racial abuse" after the vote.
He said: “Every time there is a an economic downturn or a recession, there tends to be an increase in community tensions.
"What is really important, is that we ensure communities are resilient to withstand community tension, should there be downturn in the economy."
He added: "The Met police and I are quite clear that there will be zero tolerance towards hate crime. We won’t stand for abuse.
“It’s really important that Londoners feel safe. We have to remember that there are almost a million Londoners of European descent - Portuguese, Spanish, Polish - and my message to them is: ‘You are welcome here. We value the contribution you make and that won’t change.’”
He continued: “At the same time there are other communities; the Jewish community, who have been on the receiving end of antisemitic crimes over the last 12 months. We have to make sure the police continue to make the communities feel safe; work closely with the Community Security Trust and others to make sure that no individual should be the victim of hatred as a consequence of the atmosphere left by the referendum."
On Sunday night, Mr Khan, a practising Muslim, broke the Ramadan fast at an inter-faith Iftar event at Finchley Reform Synagogue (FRS) in north-west London.
Speaking to a 200-strong room, Mr Khan told guests that there was an issue with antisemitism in the Labour Party. He went onto condemn the divisive EU referendum campaign, noting that he was “disappointed” by the result, but praised the efforts of interfaith organisations for their work in promoting community cohesion.
It is the third time Mr Khan has attended The Big Iftar event at FRS.
The event - which was attended by Catherine West, the Labour MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, GLA member Andrew Dismore and councillor across the political spectrum - was held by FRS “in celebration of our friendship with Somali Bravanese Welfare Association”.
The relationship between the two communities came after the SBWA was subject to an arson attack after the murder of soldier Lee Rigby in 2013.
The synagogue launched a Ramadan committee to host members of the SBWA for evening prayers.
