Surbiton’s Syed Kamall, MEP and Conservative candidate for London mayor, has cautioned Sadiq Khan in relying on working class credentials to secure votes next year.
Boasting a similar background to Mr Khan’s, such as their fathers being bus drivers, Mr Kamall argued that Labour’s traditional arguments about representing working class people wouldn’t give him an edge should they be running mates.
He said: “We were at a hustings the other night and we talked about what people admired the most about Sadiq Khan.
“He’s got a fantastic back story. His parents came to Britain, his father was a bus driver, and now he’s running to be mayor of London – but that’s also my story.”
Sadiq Khan, the MP for Tooting and former shadow justice secretary, was elected as Labour’s candidate for mayor last week with a final round vote share of 58.9%, beating favourite Dame Tessa Jowell’s 41.1%.
The Conservatives will choose their candidate for Mayor at the end of September.
Mr Khan was contacted for comment.
