Angela Rayner tells LBC Susan Hall must not become London mayor because of her views on women's rights
27 September 2023, 05:59 | Updated: 27 September 2023, 08:36
Angela Rayner has said that Susan Hall is "unfit" to be London Mayor due to her "alarming" views on women’s rights.
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Writing exclusively for LBC, Ms Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, said that Ms Hall would "no friend of women" in City Hall.
"London is a city of more than 4 million women and girls and for so long has been at the forefront of advancing women’s rights and the drive for greater equality," Ms Rayner said.
“Susan’s Hall’s reactionary views run counter to London’s values – she’s championed Donald Trump, attacked feminism, and offended women. As someone running to be Mayor of London her views are truly alarming and make her completely unfit to take up the post.
“Whether on equal pay, combatting violence against women and girls or advancing women’s right in the workplace, Susan Hall would be no friend of women as Mayor. She’d be a direct threat to our hard-won rights. The election in May next year will be a two-horse race between Labour and the Tories. The Tories have failed our country, we can’t let them fail London too.”
Ms Rayner hit out at the Tory mayoral candidate’s 'support' of Donald Trump and comments about TV star Gemma Collins.
She also added that comparatively Labour’s mayoral candidate, Sadiq Khan, who is seeking a third time in office, is a “proud feminist in City Hall”.
Keir Starmer has pledged to halve violence against women and girls if Labour is elected at the next general election, including by putting domestic abuse specialists in police control rooms and setting up dedicated courts for rape trials.
Ms Rayner's comments come after Ms Hall was officially selected as the Conservative party’s 2024 London mayoral candidate earlier this year.
After securing 57 per cent of the vote in a ballot, she will face Labour’s Sadiq Khan in the election next May.
Ms Hall said in response: "Sadiq Khan has shown no interest in making London safer for women and treats women on the London Assembly with contempt.
"The idea that Khan is a better advocate for women than Susan is laughable."
