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London Mayor Sadiq Khan blasts ‘racism and hatred’ as Trump triumphs

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LONDON — Mayor of London Sadiq Khan risked reigniting a years-long feud with Donald Trump Wednesday as he said the U.S. presidential election result shows “progress is not inevitable” and hit out at “racism and hatred.”

Khan, a frequent critic of Trump’s during his first term and a prominent member of Britain’s governing Labour Party, fired out a punchy statement as the U.S. Republican claimed victory, warning that Londoners will be “anxious” about the outcome.

“Many will be fearful about what it will mean for democracy and for women’s rights, or how the result impacts the situation in the Middle East or the fate of Ukraine,” he said. “Others will be worried about the future of NATO or tackling the climate crisis.”

Khan, who bagged a historic third term in office earlier this year and is the first Muslim mayor of London, said the U.K. capital “is — and will always be — for everyone.”

Seeking to draw a pointed contrast with Trump, Khan said London would remain pro-women, pro-diversity, pro-climate and pro-human rights. ”

And he took direct aim at Trump, saying: “The lesson of today is that progress is not inevitable. But asserting our progressive values is more important than ever — re-committing to building a world where racism and hatred is rejected, the fundamental rights of women and girls are upheld, and where we continue to tackle the crisis of climate change head on.”

Khan’s intervention strikes a decidedly different tone from his Labour colleague, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has congratulated Trump and said Britain and the U.S. “stand shoulder to shoulder in defense of our shared values of freedom, democracy and enterprise.”

The beef between Trump and the London mayor, however, goes way back. Trump called Khan a “stone cold loser” and “very dumb” in 2019 — after Khan compared Trump to “the fascists of the 20th century.”

The previous year, Khan allowed anti-Trump activists to fly a blimp over parliament showing Trump as a crying baby in a diaper during a visit by the incoming president. Even as Labour colleagues have tried to smooth ties, Khan told POLITICO earlier this year that Trump is a “racist. He’s a sexist. He’s a homophobe” and that the U.K. should “call him out.”

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