London’s mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has defended his past attacks on Donald Trump, telling Sky News that standing up for the city “does mean sometimes saying boo to a goose”.
But in a major U-turn since calling on the government to ban the US president’s 2019 UK state visit, when he was asked if Mr Trump would be welcome this time, he declared: “Absolutely!”
Sir Sadiq, who was knighted in the King’s New Year Honours, was interviewed by Sky News as he hosted talks with the ambassadors of the European Union‘s 27 member states at a top London hotel.
In the past, the mayor has denounced the president as “ignorant” on Islam, “racist”, “sexist”, “a homophobe” and likened his tactics to “the fascists of the 20th century”.
Asked if he still held those views, he said: “President Trump has fairly and squarely won a second term. Let’s judge President Trump on what he does to his second term rather than what he did in his first term.
“My job as the mayor of this great city is to stand up for our values, stand up for our businesses, stand up for our people. And that does mean sometimes saying boo to a goose.”
And Sir Sadiq did criticise new US vice president JD Vance for claiming in a Valentine’s Day speech at the Munich Security Conference that free speech was in retreat in the UK and Europe.
“We had a situation a couple of days ago where it was said in words to the effect that the biggest threat facing our country and our continent is a lack of freedom of speech,” said the mayor.
“Woe betide me being criticised for exercising my freedom of speech. Contrary to what JD Vance might think, we have freedom of speech in this country.”
