With London Mayoral election day next week, Khan’s team are eyeing a third term. Feeling certain of victory, they are getting careless…
Guido can reveal a video recording of a meeting from the second week of March addressed by Khan’s Deputy Mayor for Business, Howard Dawber, hosted at City Hall to discuss the role played by British Bangladeshi SMEs. After stating “unfortunately I’m not Bangladeshi but I’d like to be“, Dawber appears to urge the room to come out and help people vote for Labour:
“Obviously we have an election coming up, I need to mention that, on 2nd May. Those of you who are in London, I can’t, I don’t think I am allowed to say which way you should vote, but I do want you to vote, please. And if you were going to support us, take the day off, now arrange to take the day off, come out and help us to get other people, as it is going to be on turnout. If our voters come out we are fine. If they don’t come out we are not fine.”
According to GLA’s Guidance on Political Restriction, Deputy Mayors must not “speak to the public at large or to a section of the public with the apparent intention of affecting public support for a UK political party“. Dawber is politically restricted. Neil Garratt, group leader of City Hall Conservatives group, tells Guido:
“Mayor Khan’s Deputy appears to be hosting Labour Party election rallies at City Hall disguised as official events, misusing taxpayer funded facilities for party political use. Did they also fundraise for Labour at these dodgy events?”
Dawber, Khan’s most recent hire, on a salary of £141,406, may be in trouble. Guido has contacted Khan’s office for a comment. What will Khan say?
UPDATE: A London Labour spokesman said:
“As the recording shows, the Deputy Mayor is clear that he is not telling anybody how to vote. However, the choice on May 2 is clear: a pro-business Labour mayor building a better London for everyone, or the Tories’ Susan Hall who will take London backwards and doesn’t even mention business or jobs in her manifesto.”
