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| Sadiq Khan blasts LBC for suggesting half would not back Muslim mayor | |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| Sadiq Khan, the Labour London mayoral hopeful, has become embroiled in a row with the broadcaster LBC over a poll suggesting some voters would be uncomfortable with a Muslim running the city. | Sadiq Khan, the Labour London mayoral hopeful, has become embroiled in a row with the broadcaster LBC over a poll suggesting some voters would be uncomfortable with a Muslim running the city. |
| The YouGov poll, which also showed Tessa Jowell best placed to win not just the contest to be Labour’s candidate but the election next year too, found that 55% of respondents said they would be comfortable having a Muslim as mayor, 31% said they would be uncomfortable, and 13% were not sure. | The YouGov poll, which also showed Tessa Jowell best placed to win not just the contest to be Labour’s candidate but the election next year too, found that 55% of respondents said they would be comfortable having a Muslim as mayor, 31% said they would be uncomfortable, and 13% were not sure. |
| Khan’s team objected to the way LBC reported the findings at one point on its website on Thursday, when it wrongly said the poll showed half of Londoners said they would be uncomfortable with a Muslim mayor. | Khan’s team objected to the way LBC reported the findings at one point on its website on Thursday, when it wrongly said the poll showed half of Londoners said they would be uncomfortable with a Muslim mayor. |
| But, in a letter to LBC, Marcus Roberts, Khan’s campaign manager, suggested LBC should not have commissioned polling on this topic in the first place. | But, in a letter to LBC, Marcus Roberts, Khan’s campaign manager, suggested LBC should not have commissioned polling on this topic in the first place. |
| I hope you can reassure me that your coverage of these issues does not run fuel prejudice | I hope you can reassure me that your coverage of these issues does not run fuel prejudice |
| “People are perhaps inevitably anxious about faiths they don’t know and that is why Sadiq has spent so much of his adult life reaching out across communities to increase understanding,” said Roberts. | “People are perhaps inevitably anxious about faiths they don’t know and that is why Sadiq has spent so much of his adult life reaching out across communities to increase understanding,” said Roberts. |
| “I hope you can reassure me – and Londoners – that your coverage of these issues does not run the risk of undermining the strength of our city with questions that fuel prejudice and risk setting Londoners against each other.” | “I hope you can reassure me – and Londoners – that your coverage of these issues does not run the risk of undermining the strength of our city with questions that fuel prejudice and risk setting Londoners against each other.” |
| Khan’s campaign is focused on conventional Labour issues, such as housing and pay, but he has talked about his Muslim faith and said that the election of a Muslim mayor would send an “awesome” message to the rest of the world about the tolerance and respect Londoners have for people from different religions. | Khan’s campaign is focused on conventional Labour issues, such as housing and pay, but he has talked about his Muslim faith and said that the election of a Muslim mayor would send an “awesome” message to the rest of the world about the tolerance and respect Londoners have for people from different religions. |
| YouGov also asked in the poll if people would be comfortable or uncomfortable about having a woman, a homosexual and someone from an ethnic minority as mayor. Some 90% were comfortable with a woman (4% uncomfortable), 71% comfortable with a homosexual (16% uncomfortable) and 76% comfortable with someone from an ethnic minority (13% uncomfortable). | YouGov also asked in the poll if people would be comfortable or uncomfortable about having a woman, a homosexual and someone from an ethnic minority as mayor. Some 90% were comfortable with a woman (4% uncomfortable), 71% comfortable with a homosexual (16% uncomfortable) and 76% comfortable with someone from an ethnic minority (13% uncomfortable). |
| The poll confirmed that Jowell, the former culture minister, is the most popular of the six candidates seeking the Labour nomination for the contest. Among Londoners as a whole, 42% say she would be the best Labour candidate (up four from six weeks ago), 21% choose Khan (up three), 16% Diane Abbott, 12% David Lammy and 4% each Gareth Thomas and Christian Wolmar. | The poll confirmed that Jowell, the former culture minister, is the most popular of the six candidates seeking the Labour nomination for the contest. Among Londoners as a whole, 42% say she would be the best Labour candidate (up four from six weeks ago), 21% choose Khan (up three), 16% Diane Abbott, 12% David Lammy and 4% each Gareth Thomas and Christian Wolmar. |
| Among Labour supporters, Jowell is also ahead, although her lead over Khan is narrower: 37% against 25%. | Among Labour supporters, Jowell is also ahead, although her lead over Khan is narrower: 37% against 25%. |
| Zac Goldsmith MP has a big lead over the other three candidates seeking the Conservative nomination, with 79% of Londoners saying he would be the best candidate for the party, Stephen Greenhalgh on 9%, Andrew Boff on 7% and Syed Kamall on 6%. | Zac Goldsmith MP has a big lead over the other three candidates seeking the Conservative nomination, with 79% of Londoners saying he would be the best candidate for the party, Stephen Greenhalgh on 9%, Andrew Boff on 7% and Syed Kamall on 6%. |
| The poll also suggests that, in the election proper, Jowell would beat Goldsmith by 53% to 47% – a six-point lead, but down from 14 points six weeks ago. | The poll also suggests that, in the election proper, Jowell would beat Goldsmith by 53% to 47% – a six-point lead, but down from 14 points six weeks ago. |
| But Goldsmith would beat Khan by 54% to 46%, the poll suggests – an eight-point lead, up from six points six weeks ago. | But Goldsmith would beat Khan by 54% to 46%, the poll suggests – an eight-point lead, up from six points six weeks ago. |
| An LBC spokesperson said: “This was one of 16 questions asked in the poll, designed to test the social attitudes of the London electorate. Versions of all these questions have been asked before in national polls. The questions were agreed with YouGov to be unbiased and not lead respondents to a certain viewpoint.” |