Sign in Subscribe
Mayors

London Mayor Dodges Questions to Promote Africa Trade Delegation

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Sir Sadiq Khan's decision to attend a lunch promoting his upcoming trade delegation to Africa has been criticized, with accusations of dodging questions about his policies in London. The London Mayor missed a meeting about his attempt to pedestrianize Oxford Street, choosing instead to visit a Nigerian restaurant in Peckham, south London. This comes ahead of his five-day tour of Ghana, Nigeria, and South Africa later this month, which aims to "bang the drum for further investment" and "strengthen cultural ties" with the three nations.

Key Takeaways:

  • Sir Sadiq Khan has been accused of dodging questions about his policies in London to promote his upcoming trade delegation to Africa.
  • The London Mayor missed a meeting about his attempt to pedestrianize Oxford Street, choosing instead to visit a Nigerian restaurant in Peckham, south London.
  • Sir Sadiq's tour of Ghana, Nigeria, and South Africa aims to "bang the drum for further investment" and "strengthen cultural ties" with the three nations.
  • The tour comes ahead of a YouGov survey last year showing almost two in three (63 per cent) of Londoners are in favour of part-pedestrianization of the UK's most famous high street, Oxford Street.
  • The proposed pedestrianization scheme has been opposed by many local residents and businesses, who argue it would only create gridlock elsewhere in central London.
  • The Mayor has insisted part-pedestrianization is what the majority of Londoners would want, despite being accused of "arrogance" by Tory councillors.
  • The London Assembly has called for "world-class" public toilets to be built on Oxford Street as part of the mooted scheme.

Statistics:

  • 63% of Londoners are in favour of part-pedestrianization of Oxford Street (Source: YouGov, [1] )
  • 5 days: The length of Sir Sadiq's tour of Ghana, Nigeria, and South Africa (Source: Text)
  • 3 nations: The number of countries Sir Sadiq will visit on his trade delegation (Source: Text)
  • 2 in 3: The proportion of Londoners who support part-pedestrianization of Oxford Street (Source: YouGov, [1] )

Sources:

[1] YouGov (2023) - However the actual date is not specified in the given text, I couldn't find any online record of the YouGov survey specifically mentioning 2023, it is recommended to verify this date with YouGov or rephrase to use exact phrases from the original source

Read more