Sadiq Khan launches re-election campaign with call for 1945-style programme to rebuild London’s economy   

• Mayor says ‘jobs, jobs, jobs’ will be a ‘top priority’ if he wins a fresh mandate   

• Sadiq pledges to maximise City Hall expenditure to support London’s recovery and help create or retain jobs 

• Sadiq says he will stand up for the more than 300,000 Londoners who lost their jobs during the pandemic, and help them get back into work ‘quickly’ – calling on Government to implement a jobs guarantee   

• If re-elected, Sadiq will ‘relentlessly bang the drum for London – both at home and around the world’ to attract jobs and investment   

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, will today launch his re-election campaign with a rallying call for a 1945-style programme for economic recovery.

Sadiq will say that ‘we owe it to everyone who has lost their lives, to the key workers who have done so much to keep us safe, and to all those who have suffered’ to ensure we build an even better London after the pandemic.

Recalling the achievements of the 1945 Labour government, Sadiq will promise that a ‘top priority’ for his second term will be protecting Londoners’ jobs and helping to create new jobs to replace the more than 300,000 lost in London. The Mayor will also pledge to continue his relentless focus on tackling crime, building council homes and cleaning up the city’s air.

The Mayor will this morning visit Hot Milk, a local business in Bounds Green hit hard by the impact of the pandemic, but which has been supported by a £5000 Back to Business grant from City Hall, and raised over £12,500 through Sadiq’s Pay It Forward London initiative.

Later in the day, he will deliver his first speech of the campaign, which will be streamed live.

In a deeply personal message, Sadiq will share how his experiences growing up on a council estate as the son of a bus driver, and the opportunities London gave him to succeed, are what continue to drive him to make London a fairer, greener and safer city, where everyone has the opportunity to reach their potential.

Sadiq Khan will call the election on 6 May ‘a two-horse race’ between him and the Conservative candidate. He will describe it as a stark choice between someone who will stand up for London and London’s values, and the Conservative candidate, who ‘doesn’t share our values’ and whowon’t stand up for London in the face of the most anti-London government in living memory.

He will criticise the Tory Government’s budget as lacking the ambition and vision to deliver the change we need.  He will call on ministers to help him deliver a post-war style recovery package of investment in London and urge the Chancellor to replace the furlough scheme when it comes to an end with a new jobs guarantee linked to in-work training and apprenticeships.

Unveiling details of his economic plans for his second term, the Mayor will promise to:

• Get central London’s economy back on track with £5m of investment dedicated to attracting Londoners and domestic tourists back into the West End.
• Maximise City Hall expenditure to support London’s recovery and help create or retain jobs
• Transform small business support in London by making it simpler for business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs to access advice and support.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said:    

“We have had a dreadful year, but there’s finally some light at the end of the tunnel for Londoners. We owe it to everyone who has lost their lives, to the key workers who have done so much to keep us safe, and to all those who have suffered to ensure we build an even better London after the pandemic.

“It’s clear from the Government’s budget that the Tories don’t have the ambition or the vision needed to do that.

“In 1945, a Labour Government rebuilt Britain from the ashes of war. Like so many, I benefited from their work decades later as I grew up on a council estate and was given the opportunities to fulfil my potential and become Mayor of the greatest city on earth.

“That’s why jobs, jobs, jobs are a top priority for my second term. I want the Government to back this ambition with a jobs guarantee, creating opportunities for Londoners, particularly in the key industries of the future.

 “I am hopeful that with the right support from the Government, working with London’s businesses, we can help get the 300,000 Londoners who have lost their jobs during the pandemic back into work quickly.

“I’ll also continue my relentless focus on cleaning up our city’s air, building record numbers of new council homes and being both tough on crime and its causes.

“The election on May the 6th is a two-horse race between me and the Tory candidate. We’re the only two candidates who can win and the choice couldn’t be starker.

“I promise to continue standing up for London’s values, relentlessly bang the drum for London – both at home and abroad – to attract jobs and investment, and fight for the national investment we need in the face of the most anti-London Government in living memory. The Tory candidate doesn’t share our values and he won’t stand up for our city.”