Sadiq Khan questions whether London security services are prepared for 'Mumbai-style' terror attack
Labour's mayoral hopeful says he will review the city's police, fire and security services if elected next month
Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
London Mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan has questioned whether the capital’s security services are adequately prepared for a "Mumbai-style" terror attack.
The Labour candidate said if elected on 5 May he intended to review the police, fire and security services to make sure the city was “ready”.
In 2008, members of a Pakistani militant group killed more than 160 people in shootings and bombings in India's largest city over a period of four days.
Speaking at a BBC hustings event with four other candidates, Mr Khan asked: "If there was a Mumbai-style attack in London, are there sufficient armed response units at the moment?
"I want reassurance that we are ready. If you've closed down 10 fire stations, there are 30 more fire engines being lost from London, half of London's firefighters live outside London - I worry about London's security.
"I need to be reassured as the mayor of London that we are all going to be safe.
"I'm not reassured yet — I want to be reassured."
His rival, Conservative candidate Zac Goldsmith, also set out his position on security by saying he would retain London Metropolitan Police numbers at 32,000 and put an additional 5,000 transport police officers on the London Underground.
The pair locked horns over Mr Goldsmith’s comments that Mr Khan was “giving oxygen and cover to extremists” by sharing a platform with them.
Mr Khan defended himself from Mr Goldsmith's claims, saying he had been a victim of extremism himself.
Mr Goldsmith also hit back at suggestions that he or his campaign team had actually labelled his Labour rival personally as an "extremist".
The Tory MP said: "My campaign has been overwhelmingly positive.
"I have made it very, very clear that I have never suggested that Sadiq Khan was an extremist in any way at all.
"The point I have made, and Londoners have made and the newspapers have made on a regular basis is that Sadiq Khan has given platforms and oxygen and even cover to people who are extremist and I think that is dangerous."
Additional reporting by PA
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments