Sadiq Khan savaged Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn yesterday over his handling of the party’s anti-Semitism crisis and insisted he would be a mayor for all London if he won the race for City Hall.
As the battle to be mayor entered its final few days, Labour’s candidate urged Corbyn to “get a grip” over the row amid fears it could damage his campaign. He said he was disappointed that Corbyn had failed to act “swiftly and decisively” to draw a line under the controversy.
In a bid to reach out to Jewish voters, he said it was “wrong” that they could feel they did not belong in the Labour party. It came as the front- runner made his final speech of an increasingly bitter campaign in which Tory rival Zac Goldsmith has been accused of fomenting division.
Khan set out his choice for Londoners ahead of polling tomorrow between “hope and fear, unity and division”.  In an interview with the Standard, he said: “I’ll be a mayor for all Londoners, he’ll be a mayor for some Londoners.”
Khan called on voters not to treat the election as a referendum on Corbyn as he renewed attempts to distance himself from party chiefs.
“The Labour leadership has got to get a grip. I’ve been so unhappy because the impression has been given that they don’t understand how appalling anti-Semitism is, that there’s a hierarchy when it comes to racism,” he said.
“The sort of events of last week — which was very serious, I’m not belittling it — are a huge drain of energy and resources that should be spent talking to Londoners. That’s why I’m disappointed that the leadership didn’t act swiftly and decisively, so that we could get on with the important stuff.”
Khan said a low turn-out was the biggest remaining hurdle to overcome. But he claimed to have “blinkers on” when it came to elections elsewhere in the country and brushed aside claims a victory in London could save Corbyn’s skin.
After reports that a coup against the Labour leader is on the cards, he denied suggestions one could be mounted from City Hall should he win. “Absolutely not. Anybody who thinks City Hall is a platform for national Labour party politics should think again,” he said.
The Tooting MP claimed he had no ambitions to lead his party as he viewed the mayoralty as a “destination” job — and said City Hall would instead be a “beacon” for what a good Labour administration could do.
He pledged not to appoint “political cronies” into senior roles as that sort of patronage put people off politics. He said Boris Johnson was wrong to claim the Labour candidate would give a role to Ken Livingstone, who was suspended from the party last week over his remarks about Hitler. Earlier in the contest rumours circled that the former mayor, who endorsed Khan, was in line for a big job overseeing transport. But he added: “I’ve been quite clear, there’s no place for Livingstone if I’m the mayor.”   Khan threw his weight behind colleagues, including former leadership contender Liz Kendall and London MP Wes Streeting, who have been scolded by union bosses for speaking out against Corbyn’s handling of the furore. “You’ve got to call out wrong when you see wrong,” he said.
The mayoral hopeful claimed the Tory campaign had been the most negative he had witnessed in more than two decades in politics. “I’ve never seen such a divisive campaign,” he said.
Goldsmith should have rejected bad advice from his team, he added. The Tories claim Khan’s supporters have used the “race card” to avoid answering questions about extremist links, which reflected badly on his judgment.
Khan revealed he would make City Hall’s offices in Brussels and Westminster “more muscular” if he wins to make sure London gets the most it can out of the government and EU.
But it was housing he put at the heart of yesterday morning’s speech at the South Bank. “I want the London of 2020 to be a city of opportunity and hope, where young people feel like they have a future, with thousands of new affordable homes — to rent and buy — springing up across our city,” he said.