Sadiq Khan has invited Donald Trump for a “good curry” on Brick Lane when he visits the capital for a state visit.
The London mayor said it would be good to show him “the joys of our diversity” after he accepted his second state visit during the prime minister’s trip to Washington on Thursday.
When asked about his past comments towards Trump, the Labour figure and long time critic of the US president insisted his position would not change. However, he still agreed for the visit to go ahead despite Trump’s oval office meltdown with Volodymyr Zelensky.
He told LBC: “If he does come to London, what I’d invite him to do is spend time at Trafalgar Square, maybe on St Patrick’s Day or Lunar New Year, or Eid in the square, or Diwali in the square.”
“I think it is important to actually bust some of these myths. I think it’s important to show those people who believe the contrary that diversity is a strength, not a weakness.”
Asked if he would go with Trump to some of London’s so-called ‘no-go areas’, he said: “I’d invite President Trump for a good curry in Brick Lane [in east London], maybe go and visit a place of worship in London, but also his team as well.”
He added: “I say in a non-patronising way, a lot of prejudice comes from pre-judging, and actually one of the joys of the great city of London is our diversity.
“So if it is the case, if it is the case that president Trump comes to London, it’s an opportunity to show [him] the joys of our diversity. And by the way, that includes not just religious minorities, ethnic minorities, but people of different sexual orientations as well.”
Sadiq Khan warned EU diplomats last month that the president’s “trade wars and tariffs” posed “a real threat to international affairs”.
On the day of Donald Trump’s inauguration in January, he also suggested that his second term could be similar to that of 1930s Germany, telling UK government ministers to act over “resurgent fascism”.
However, he is not the only Labour mayor to publicly come out against Trump.
Talking to The London Economic last week, Greater Manchester’s Andy Burnham suggested the president is bringing the same “instability” to the world that Liz Truss brought to Britain.
Burnham was asked about Liz Truss calling for “true blue” Conservative MPs to join forces with Reform UK.
He replied: “Oh God, I don’t know where to start with some of this. But what do I make of what Liz Truss did to the country when she did have some power? It wasn’t good.
“And I think this kind of New Right – the populist Right – that Liz Truss is now seemingly signed up to, I appreciate that there’s some popular support for it.
“But I think we now have to have a real debate about what that means and the instability that Liz Truss brought to Britain, I think Trump is bringing to the US and the world. So I’m all in favour of having the debate.”
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