Prominent UKIP MEP Steven Woolfe has condemned London mayor Sadiq Khan’s assertion that migrants should not have to assimilate.
Speaking to Breitbart London’s Editor-in-Chief Raheem Kassam, Mr Woolfe also warned the London mayor is unwise to insult supporters of ‘Brexit’ and Donald Trump as populism stirs across the Western world.
The Manchester-born MEP branded Mr Khan’s message to a Chicago audience, that migrants should not be forced to assimilate, “shameful” on the Breitbart News Saturday show.
Responding to Mr Khan’s remarks, Mr Woolfe said: “Nonsense. Ridiculous. Shameful. That’s exactly the sort of thing his comments are.”
The UKIP MEP recalled his own mixed heritage and the experiences of his family members who migrated to the UK:
“They didn’t stand there and say ‘I’m going to have my own culture, isolated from the British culture. They integrated, they assimilated, they got on. They went to our schools, they went to work with us. They support us in terms of cricket and football, our major sports. They’d get onside and get on and compete, with our flag.”
“And that is the importance of assimilation and integration, because we all then shared the same flag, the same culture, the same belief that we have got a democratic country that looks after us.”
Mr Woolfe went on to suggest that Mr Khan’s remarks seem to condone, or encourage, the approach which has led to Muslim enclaves developing in London which are rife with corruption, and issues like female genital mutilation.
“So saying that you shouldn’t integrate and that you shouldn’t assimilate — that sends out a powerful message to those who want to simply want to create their own little fiefdoms, their own tiny countries, their own segregation in a country and he should be really ashamed of himself for saying that”, he said.
Noting that the London mayor has spent his time touring Canada and America endorsing Hillary Clinton rather than making trade deals, Mr Kassam suggested Mr Khan “seems to have forgotten what his job is”.
The UKIP politician agreed, saying the Labour mayor has “ideas above his station”. He pointed out that Khan should be using his trip to encourage investment, tourism and trade with London but instead is playing partisan politics.
“This is a man that was elected as Mayor of London and his job is to promote London and all its people in it.
“And what’s he doing? Standing side by side with a contender from the Democrats who wishes to be the President of the United States, and telling an audience there that people shouldn’t have to integrate and assimilate. This isn’t the message he should be sending out,” Mr Woolfe said.
Highlighting the fact populist parties are gaining in influence across the Western world, Mr Kassam observed that Mr Khan is “probably offending half the electorate” in expressing strident opposition to ‘Brexit’ and Donald Trump.
Mr Woolfe said the London mayor’s behaviour could backfire if Mr Trump reaches the White House, with regards to the city’s reputation. He brought up the possibility that American businesses might want to take their business to “a different city that has been sensible, and stayed out of making political statements during this time.”
He concluded by praising “the very sensible principle” in which British politicians usually “stand aside and not get involved in the day to day battles, or support people” during US elections.
“[Politicians] have to look after the interests of [their] your own country and [they] should be pleasant and decent to everybody, because you never know who’s going to win,” he commented.
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