Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has expressed concern that new voter identification regulations could potentially hinder his re-election chances. Writing for the Russian oligarch-owned ‘Independent‘, Khan begins: “I am under no illusion: I could lose,” before explaining: “Many people don’t realise yet that the Tory government has changed the voting system to make it much more likely that their candidate will win.”
Britain introduced voter ID requirements for the first time in 2022, which the far-left Labour Party bemoaned as a “blatant attempt to rig democracy in favour of the Conservative Party.”
“New rules making it compulsory to have an approved form of ID – a deliberate attempt to reduce turnout – also puts the election on a knife-edge,” Khan wrote in a statement for the Independent. “Analysis shows more than 900,000 Londoners – likely to include large numbers of young people and those from minority communities – might not have valid ID and will thus be barred from exercising their democratic right to vote,” he continued.
Khan criticized his rival, Susan Hall, for her “hard Brexit” stance and for opposing his initiatives on air quality and climate change. “I’ve always stood up for London’s open, outward-looking, pro-European and anti-racist values – as well as for climate science, women’s rights, our diversity, our LGBT+ community, and liberal democracy,” Khan wrote.
London residents are set to vote for their preferred leader in six weeks, with Khan presently enjoying a significant lead in the polls. The YouGov/Mile End Institute Poll shows Khan leading at 49 percent, with his nearest opponent, Conservative Susan Hall, trailing at 24 percent.
