Source: The Guardian

By Toby Helm

Observer political editor

Sadiq Khan, the new Labour mayor of London, has launched an extraordinary attack on David Cameron and his defeated opponent, Zac Goldsmith, accusing them of trying to turn different ethnic communities against each other to stop him winning in the capital.

Writing in the Observer after becoming the most powerful Muslim politician in Europe, Khan says the prime minister and Goldsmith deployed tactics “straight out of the Donald Trump playbook” – a reference to the anti-Muslim campaign of the Republican hopeful in the US.

Khan wrested control of the capital from the Tories after eight years under Boris Johnson, in what turned out to be a comfortable win. He said he had hoped the campaign would focus on issues such as housing, transport and air pollution. “But David Cameron and Zac Goldsmith chose to set out to divide London’s communities in an attempt to win votes in some areas and suppress voters in other parts of the city,” he said.

“They used fear and innuendo to try to turn different ethnic and religious groups against each other – something straight out of the Donald Trump playbook. Londoners deserved better and I hope it’s something the Conservative party will never try to repeat.”

His remarks came as senior Tories, including Mohammed Amin, chair of the Conservative Muslim Forum, broke cover to criticise their own party’s campaign as divisive and deeply unpleasant.

Khan chose Southwark Cathedral for his signing-in as mayor, where he said he was determined to govern for all Londoners and “every single community”.

His savage remarks about Cameron will infuriate the prime minister and stoke tension between the two, who will have to work together on security and other issues in the months and years ahead.

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