Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Sadiq Khan says he needed 24-hour security because of his skin colour and religion

Sadiq Khan says he needed 24-hour security because of his skin colour and religion

LONDON Mayor Sadiq Khan has said that he needed protection 24 hours a day, seven days a week because of the colour of his skin and the god he worships.

Khan, a practising Muslim and the son of a Pakistani bus driver, told the Labour party’s conference in Brighton that he had initially dismissed the suggestion of adopting security in 2016.


But he later accepted police protection when he was warned of the risk of those around him – including his family and his staff – if he declined, reported The Telegraph.

Khan revealed that counselling was given to his staff because of the vitriol directed at him from letters, emails.

His intervention came after he faced criticism for driving in a convoy of three cars from his home to Battersea Park, a journey of 4.5 miles, to take his dog for a walk, The Telegraph report added.

The travel arrangement was made on police advice, Khan said, adding that press coverage about his security arrangements "leads to people then sending threatening emails".

According to him, 15 police officers are keeping him safe "around the clock".

He said: “You can’t do anything spontaneously. Riding a bike to work, which I do often, is different for me than for you. Using the Tube, which I do, is different for me than for you. Going for a jog . . . it’s hard. Having sniffer dogs in your house is not fun. Not being able to answer your door is hard."

Khan added that he had kept his silence previously about his security arrangements because he did not want to put others off from entering politics.

He said he had been inspired by the response of England footballers to racist abuse.

“The way Marcus Rashford, [Jadon] Sancho, [Bukayo] Saka have talked about it, and the response has given me so much hope. It’s given me the confidence to talk about it myself," Khan was quoted as saying by The Times.

More For You

british-muslims-iStock

The study noted that this identification was not due to any doctrinal obligation but was influenced by the perception that many Muslims do not feel fully accepted as British. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Majority of British Muslims identify by faith first, study finds

A STUDY by the Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life (IIFL) has found that most British Muslims identify primarily with their religion rather than their nationality.

The research, based on a survey of 815 British Muslim adults by Whitestone Insight, revealed that 71 per cent of respondents identified as Muslim first, while 27 per cent identified as British, English, or Scottish first.

Keep ReadingShow less
Car Tax Changes: EV Owners Now Required to Pay for the First Time

Owners of electric vehicles registered on or after 1 April 2025 will pay £10 for the first year, followed by the standard VED rate of £195 from the second year. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Car tax changes take effect: EV owners to pay for first time

FROM today, 1 April 2025, electric cars, vans, and motorcycles in the UK will be subject to Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) for the first time.

The change, introduced in the 2022 Autumn Statement by former Conservative Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, aims to make motoring taxation fairer.

Keep ReadingShow less
scotland-minimum-wages-iStock

Full-time workers on the National Living Wage will receive an annual pay increase of £1,400 in real terms. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Wage increase takes effect for thousands of workers in Scotland

HUNDREDS of thousands of workers in Scotland will see a pay increase as new National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates take effect from Tuesday.

The changes will benefit approximately 220,000 people, according to STV News.

Keep ReadingShow less
uk-energy-bill-iStock

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

April bill increases put financial strain on single parents

A RANGE of essential household bills are increasing from April, with Citizens Advice warning that single parents will be among the hardest hit.

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased, BBC reported.

Keep ReadingShow less
Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools
Stephen Graham and Owen Cooper in 'Adolescence'
Netflix

Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools

THE NETFLIX drama Adolescence will be shown in UK secondary schools as part of efforts to address harmful online influences on young boys, officials announced on Monday.

The show has sparked debate over the impact of toxic and misogynistic content on the internet. Prime minister Keir Starmer met the show's creators, charities, and young people at Downing Street, calling the initiative an important step in starting discussions about the content teenagers are exposed to online.

Keep ReadingShow less