Sadiq Khan slammed by Windrush descendent Shaun Bailey for failing on crime with 1,000 extra cops needed to tackle Lawless London
SADIQ Khan is “emboldening criminals” by failing to catch enough thugs behind knife attacks, a Windrush descendent running for London Mayor has claimed.
In a scathing attack on the current Mayor, Tory candidate Shaun Bailey slammed him for being “clueless” on crime and unable to get a grip on Lawless London.
The London Assembly Member claimed his call for 1,000 extra cops on the capital’s streets would help stem the flow of violent attacks.
In an exclusive interview as part of a series profiling all three Tory candidates, he claimed that all Khan was able to do was ask ministers for more money.
He told The Sun Online: “His only tool against crime is a begging pot. He’s emboldened criminals, hasn’t he?
“They think, ‘it’s consequence-free crime, I’ll get it done’.”
More than 100 people have been killed in the capital since the start of the year, as London’s crime epidemic continues.
But Mr Bailey, who wants to face off against Mr Khan in the next London race in 2020, said the Mayor was not doing all he could to tackle the issue.
“I don’t think we are helpless, I think he is clueless,” he stormed.
“The Mayor only talks about prevention because it makes him look good.
“He said it would be a priority for him, but it was around 18 months before he came up with a knife crime strategy. His response is uniting Londoners against him.
Mr Khan has admitted his response to the wave of stabbings was “not good enough” but has repeatedly blamed budget cuts for the 23 per cent increase in knife crime this year.
He claims his £45million fund to help young Londoners will stop people getting involved in crime - but has said responsibility for crime is a UK-wide problem.
Mr Bailey used to work for David Cameron as an adviser on youth and crime - a job that got him the label "token ghetto boy" by Kensington MP Emma Dent Coad back in 2010.
But he claims that police need to be given more direction and leadership from City Hall.
And he promises that more officers (paid for by making cuts to the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime) would mean more arrests and charges for criminals currently running riot on the streets.
“Crime only stops if people know they are going to get caught,” he said. “We need to focus in the smaller gateways - as Mayor I would expect detection rates to go up.
“People want to know; am I going to see a copper? Are these people getting caught? I will focus on that.
“We always want a responsibly funded police office - but he’s not using the money he has well.”
Who is Shaun Bailey?
Age: 46
Born: North Kensington, London
Political experience: London Assembly member since 2016. Stood to be an MP in Lewisham West and Penge in 2017.
Worked: As an advisor to David Cameron, co-founder of My Generation charity and in the Department for Education
The Tory says the crime wave in London isn’t new - it’s just being seen now on an unprecedented scale.
“The level of crime in London is incredible, he said. “And people are really worried about it - it’s all anyone is talking about.”
Everyone he speaks to brings up crime or housing, he claimed - which could affect Mr Khan’s chances if he chooses to run again.
“He has been a weak leader, there has been no leadership,” he claimed. “Everything is somebody else's fault.
And hitting out at the now Mayor’s role as Transport Minister under Tony Blair, he added: “We always hear about Tory cuts but we never hear about Labour’s waste.”
But the Mayor has “talked London down remorselessly” which has taken away their hopes of a better life, Mr Bailey claims.
“For me, if you want to give people security and opportunity, they have to have hope. If they feel under physical threat, there is no hope.
“The poorest communities in London are talking about literal survival.”
And it’s these left-behind communities, which can be seen across Britain, which are why he voted to Leave the EU in 2016’s historic referendum, he confessed.
“It was a tough decision, but I work with so many poor communities that felt forgotten," Mr Bailey said.
“London is a vibrant, prosperous place, and they weren’t feeling any of that.”
And as Mayor he promised not to forget where he came from - and fight for a fairer deal that spreads wealth better across the capital.
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A spokesperson for Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, said: "The cuts outlined by Shaun Bailey today would mean slashing MOPAC investment in the preventative services that stop young Londoners turning to crime in the first place - like funding for community groups and charities - and cutting all funding to tackle violence against women and girls.
“That is not at all surprising when you look at Shaun Bailey’s record of cutting police and preventative services - as an adviser to David Cameron on youth and crime in Downing Street he oversaw cuts to the Met that have seen thousands of police taken off London’s streets and cuts to youth services that caused youth clubs across London to close.
“Londoners simply cannot trust Shaun Bailey on tackling crime.”
Yesterday Mr Bailey's fellow candidate Andrew Boff said he would make cannabis legal and BAN tube drivers from striking as part of his radical plan.
And mum Joy Morrissey revealed that she fears for her seven-year-old girl Cara as London's crime crisis continues.
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