Zac Goldsmith’s ‘Islamophobic, dog whistle campaign’ has encouraged a larger voter turnout in Lambeth, Labour Streatham MP Chuka Umunna claimed this morning.
Mr Umunna agreed with a tweet made by political editor George Eaton stating that London Mayoral turnout actually might actually be up on four years ago as result of Mr Goldsmith’s comments about Labour’s links to extremism.
He said: “The Islamophobic, dog whistle Goldsmith campaign actually helped get out our vote.”
Minutes later he sent another tweet saying: “ZacGoldsmith shld be deeply ashamed of his campaign. Pple who don’t share his politics thought him decent, now we know otherwise”
.@georgeeaton ZacGoldsmith shld be deeply ashamed of his campaign.Pple who don't share his politics thought him decent,now we know otherwise
— ChukaUmunna (@ChukaUmunna) May 6, 2016
Mr Goldsmith was branded ‘desperate and divisive’ by Mayoral favourite Sadiq Khan after he wrote what was widely deemed as a ‘racist’ column for the Mail on Sunday at the weekend.
He wrote: “If Labour wins on Thursday, we will have handed control of the Met, and with it control over national counter-terrorism policy, to a party whose candidate and current leadership have, whether intentionally or not, repeatedly legitimised those with extremist views.”
In the last election the turnout was 38.1%, a decrease from the 2008 where 45.3% of the London population came out to vote.
We expect a turnout in #Lambeth of around 40% #LondonMayor2016 #TeamKhan
— ChukaUmunna (@ChukaUmunna) May 6, 2016
People on Twitter commented agreeing with Mr Umunna’s tweet, although some questioning whether Mr Goldsmith may be just a ‘puppet’ for the Conservative party.
Tweeters also questioned whether votes may have increased due to Londoner’s respect for Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
Earlier this year Mr Umunna took to twitter to defend London’s first Nigerian London Assembly candidate Florence Eshalomi, after Labour Group Momentum targeted her campaign for being too ‘Blairite’.
Tweeting his anger at plans to picket her ‘Pizza and Politics’ event, the MP accused members of doing the Conservative’s ‘dirty work’ for them.
Picture courtesy of the Labour Party, with thanks
