Sunday, May 09, 2021
Khan wins in London
Johnson ensnares the Scots
In Scotland the forces for independence drive in a brilliant election victory. The British Prime Minister immediately took up his pen and wrote the Scottish Prime Minister a sales letter for the “broad shoulders” of the United Kingdom. In London, incumbent Khan prevails.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson campaigned for the union of the different parts of the United Kingdom after the independence supporters won the general election in Scotland. “It is my passionate belief that the interests of the people of the UK, and especially the people of Scotland, are best served when we work together,” wrote Johnson in a letter to Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon published that evening. The benefit of this cooperation was particularly evident in the corona pandemic. “This is Team United Kingdom in action,” said Johnson.
Sturgeon’s Scottish National Party (SNP) had clearly won the general election on Thursday. Together with the Greens, who also advocate independence, the party achieved a clear majority in parliament. Sturgeon wants to bring an independent Scotland back to the EU after Brexit. She asked Johnson to allow a new independence referendum. Most experts believe that a referendum is illegal without the approval of London.
Johnson wrote in the letter that the country was facing major challenges. The UK’s “broad shoulders” would have protected jobs and companies during the Corona crisis. The economic recovery is a common task. Johnson invited Sturgeon to meet with his government and the heads of the rest of Wales and Northern Ireland to discuss how to address common challenges. Johnson sent a similar letter to the Welsh Prime Minister Mark Drakeford, who had also clearly won the general election in that part of the country. In Wales, the ruling Labor Party had clearly won, but narrowly missed an absolute majority.
Khan wins London for Labor
In the regional elections in England, the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan was re-elected for a second term. According to the results published in the evening, the 50-year-old Labor politician retained the upper hand over his conservative challenger Shaun Bailey. Khan received a good 1.2 million votes, while Bailey received just under 980,000. The turnout of 42 percent was lower than in previous polls.
Khan, the son of Pakistani immigrants, was the first Muslim politician to be elected mayor of a western capital in 2016. He had then taken over from the current Prime Minister Johnson. After his election victory was announced, the 50-year-old said his second term would focus on building bridges between London’s different communities, as well as between London City Hall and the UK government. During the election campaign, Khan had promised new jobs in particular and said he would ensure that London retained its top position in the world despite Brexit and the pandemic.
Khan had spoken out against Britain’s exit from the EU and had fought with both Johnson and former US President Donald Trump during his first term in office. He is repeatedly traded as a possible Labor candidate for the office of British Prime Minister.
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