I’m going to do something that you’re not supposed to do in British politics. I’m going to talk about faith.
This is seen as risky. Remember when Tony Blair tried to talk about faith? His advisor interrupted with the most famous sentence ever said about religion in British politics: ‘We don’t do God.’
Look, we should never force our faith on others. London’s strength comes from our diversity: from the people of all backgrounds and religions who call this city home. Christian or atheist, Muslim or Hindu, Sikh or Jew, we should all be free to go about our lives as we see fit.
But that doesn’t mean we must stay silent. We can respect the rights of all Londoners while still talking about faith — a subject that’s particularly important in London. According to research, as a proportion London has more people of faith than the rest of Britain. One in four Londoners go to a religious service at least once a month, compared to one in ten outside London. Religious organisations carrying out community work are the lifeblood of so many areas across London. And when one in four Londoners agree on an issue, we should talk about it.
African Voice readers will know what it’s like to grow up with black parents. We get immersed in church culture. When I was a kid, Sunday services were whole-day celebrations. They were a chance for aunties to meet family. A chance to catch up with old friends. A chance for our community to come together.
So just as we need to stand up for people of no faith, we also need to stand up for the faithful. Because if we don’t, others will take advantage of our silence — like we’ve seen with Sadiq Khan’s increased congestion charge.
Sadiq Khan let Transport for London’s finances fall into chaos. He wasted nearly £50 million on service contracts. £828 million on luxury pensions. Over £5 billion on Crossrail delays. Between one thing and another, TfL’s debt is now at a record £13 billion. So Sadiq Khan had to find money somewhere.
That’s why he raised the congestion charge to £15 a day, seven days a week. And we might as well call it a worship tax. Because it doesn’t matter if you’re travelling to a synagogue on Friday, a mosque for evening prayers or a church on Sunday: you’ll be hit with Sadiq Khan’s worship tax.
These aren’t the actions of a Mayor who respects faith. These aren’t the actions of a Mayor who wants to make life easier for families. Time and again, Sadiq Khan has shown that he’s more interested in playing politics than in delivering.
Knife crime is at a historic high. Good homes are unaffordable. Transport is overcrowded. And the cost of living keeps rising. This isn’t the city we deserve — and it’s not the kind of city our children deserve to inherit. That’s why I’m standing for Mayor.
My vision for London is very different from Sadiq Khan’s. And it comes from real-life experience, not the latest polling.
I was raised by a single mum in a council house in West London. I’ve been homeless and out of work. I know what it’s like to struggle, chasing cheap rent and any job going. But I also know what it’s like to turn things around, to get up and fight another day.
That’s why I became a youth worker. For over twenty years, I helped kids from areas like mine do the same thing I did: get up, get out of crime, and get on in life. And the young people I worked with continue to inspire me.
Like Emmanuel. When I first met him, he was on the wrong road: involved in crime, not sure how to get out, not sure what to do with his life. But together we turned his life around. Now he’s a volunteer, helping others turn their own lives around.
This is London at its best. This is the city we should be.
A city where everyone can get on in life. A city where we respect faith, not tax it. A city that’s safer, fairer and more affordable.
So I’m asking for the support of African Voice readers. Together, we can work with every resident in every community to build a London we’ll all be proud of.
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