Minister slaps down Sadiq Khan over ‘resurgent fascism’ jibe at Donald Trump as Labour scrambles to forge ties with new president_Nhy
A Cabinet minister slapped down Sadiq Khan today after he warned over ‘resurgent fascism’ ahead of Donald Trump‘s inauguration.
The London Mayor fuelled his long-running feud with the returning president by urging Labour and the Left to ‘confront’ the forces of ‘reactionary populism’.
But Treasury Chief Secretary Darren Jones bluntly rejected the attack in interviews this morning, insisting that the government respected Mr Trump’s mandate.
‘I don’t agree with that. President Trump won an enormous election victory in the US. As a democracy we support democracy and the American people elected Donald Trump and the Republican party,’ he told the BBC‘s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg.
Pressed on why Sir Sadiq was making such interventions as Labour struggles to forge ties with the incoming US administration, Mr Jones said: ‘He’s allowed to but I don’t agree with it. I speak on behalf of the government and we don’t agree with it.’
Mr Jones also said the UK was ‘confident’ Lord Mandelson will be accepted as the new UK ambassador to the US – despite rumblings about a potential veto.
‘The reason the PM picked Peter Mandelson was because we wanted to do things differently,’ the minister said.
‘I think Peter Mandelson will be a brilliant ambassador for us and will form a very strong partnership with the new administration.’
Sadiq Khan urged Labour and the Left to ‘confront’ the forces of ‘reactionary populism’ on the eve of the White House changeover
Sir Sadiq and Donald Trump (pictured) have made no secret about their disdain for each other
Mr Jones said he was not worried about links between the US and US suffering due to political differences.
‘No. Obviously the UK and the US has a long and deep-rooted relationship,’ he said.
‘I think if you step back a bit from the detail and the rumours and the gossip, I just think Britain needs to be confident about itself and be strong in its position.
‘We’ve got lots of great assets, lots of great capabilities. What we say in the world matters and our economy, our security, our defence, our values are strongly intertwined with the Americans irrespective of who their president is.
‘I think there will be plenty of opportunities there for us to do deals with President Trump elect both in the interests of the British economy, but also for democracies and the West.’
Sir Sadiq and Mr Trump have made no secret about their disdain for each other.
They clashed as recently as May when he slammed the American politician’s jibe that London was ‘unrecognisable’ because the city had ‘opened its doors to jihad’.
As he celebrated winning a third term as mayor earlier this year, Sir Sadiq said Londoners had ‘slammed the door shut’ on Mr Trump’s ‘hard-right populism’.
And when Mr Trump romped home in the US election in November Sir Sadiq initially stopped short of congratulating him – although he did so later.
Writing in The Observer, Sir Sadiq said ‘these are deeply worrying times, especially if you’re a member of a minority community’.
Highlighting the progress of the AfD in Germany, National Rally in France and Mr Trump in the US, he urged a ‘renewed and concerted effort to confront these forces and expose them for what they are: opportunists who seek to divide people for personal and political gain’.
Sir Sadiq also condemned ‘financial backers who selfishly choose to put the profits of their companies over the interests of our democracies’ in a dig at Elon Musk.
‘Progressives across the Western world face a century-defining challenge – and the stakes for liberal democracy couldn’t be higher,’ he wrote.
‘The far-right is on the march. These are deeply worrying times, especially if you’re a member of a minority community. As historians and commentators increasingly find echoes of the 1920s and 30s in the present day, we cannot afford to throw in the towel.
‘We should be in no doubt, this is a perilous moment. The spectre of a resurgent fascism haunts the West…
‘To ward off the far-right, we must be unflinching in defence of our democracy and values, and in our determination to enhance the welfare and material conditions of our communities.’
Sir Sadiq delivered a veiled rebuke to Labour colleagues – such as Foreign Secretary David Lammy (pictured with Keir Starmer) – who have backed off their previous criticism of Mr Trump
Sir Sadiq delivered a veiled rebuke to Labour colleagues – such as Foreign Secretary David Lammy – who have backed off their previous criticism of Mr Trump.
‘I agree with the government that we need to be pragmatic on the international stage,’ he said.
‘But progressives around the world should never yield ground to the far-right, nor be afraid to speak truth to power when required.’
