Sadiq Khan On Why London MPs Prefer Him To Jeremy Corbyn

11 May 2017, 11:11 | Updated: 11 May 2017, 14:27

Speaking to James O'Brien for LBC's Election Call, Sadiq Khan explained why he thinks some London MPs prefer him to Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Some London MPs are putting Sadiq Khan's face on general election leaflets - instead of Jeremy Corbyn's. 

During LBC's Election Call, James O'Brien asked the London Mayor why MPs are doing this. 

James asked: "London Labour MPs are putting pictures of you on their election leaflets and no pictures of Jeremy Corbyn, why?"

Sadiq said: "There are loads and loads of leaflets flying around."

James interjected: "No. We haven't found any with pictures of Jeremy Corbyn on them, and I've got one in front of me now, Rosena Allin-Khan, Candidate for Tooting as you know, and a picture of you, no picture of anyone else.  

Sadiq said: "Look, as a Mayor of London-"

James asked again: "Why? Why has she not got a picture of Corbyn there if he's the real deal?"

Sadiq answered: "As the Mayor of London I know London Labour MPs probably better than Jeremy does, Jeremy's the national leader."

James said: "But he's a London Labour MP himself, you're not."

Sadiq said: "But he's working around the country, in Scotland, in Wales, in the North, the North East."

James added: "You've said yourself that the choice is between Corbyn and May, so why isn't there a picture of Corbyn on the Labour MP's leaflets?"

Sadiq answered: "Because the Labour MPs you're referring to probably know me better than they know Jeremy Corbyn."

James said: "Theresa May's name is in six foot high letters, and Conservatives is tiny. It seems a little odd that the Labour leader should be exorcised from leaflets from candidates seeking to be elected from parliament."

Sadiq went on: "Well no, I'm very proud of my good relationship with London MPs, Labour MPs in particular."

James said: "So you're in a tough position, because part of you must quite like this, getting a lot of texts saying 'why isn't he the leader?'. You'll pretend that that's water off a duck's back, but there must be a little bit of you which thinks 'why are we coming into this election with a more cohesive leadership?"

Sadiq said: "There's a very good reason why Theresa May three years prematurely called a general election, because she thinks we will win a significant majority, and my worry, if she does, she'll be able to negotiate a Tory extreme hard Brexit. 

"Which is why I am saying to your listeners, if you want to avoid an extreme hard Brexit, June 8 is your last time to do that, and the way to do that is by voting Labour." 

James asked: "Would you advise these candidates to put pictures of the Labour party leader on their campaigning leaders to become Labour party MPs. 

"The candidates and the campaign managers know the position best and their seat, not me."

James added: "So you would think that was a reading of a position in a seat if someone decided not to put a picture of Jeremy Corbyn on the leaflet."

Sadiq said: "No look, I know these guys better than Jeremy does, because I am the London Mayor, they worked very hard to get me elected last May.

"Many of theses people I've known for years and years and years, and it's no slight on Jeremy, that they've asked me to be on their leaflet and not Jeremy."