Sadiq Khan says he’s ‘not safe’ as a Muslim politician and has been ‘triggered’ by far-right riots after experiencing the BNP in the 70s and 80s – as London mayor calls for new social media rules to stamp out ‘misinformation’

Sadiq Khan has said he’s ‘not safe’ as a Muslim politician in Britain and revealed how he feels ‘triggered’ by the recent far-right riots.

In the wake of widespread violence after the Southport stabbing attack, the London mayor reflected on how he experienced the National Front and BNP as he grew up.

He admitted it was ‘heartbreaking’ that his children’s generation had also now lived through what he had to deal with in the 1970s and 1980s.

Mr Khan urged the Government to bring in tougher rules for social media firms, as he branded current regulations ‘not fit for purpose’.

He said recent riots were the ‘direct consequence’ of misinformation being spread ‘very quickly’ online following the Southport killings.

Sadiq Khan has said he’s ‘not safe’ as a Muslim politician in Britain and revealed how he feels ‘triggered’ by the recent far-right riots

Speaking at an anti-racism event organised by Chelsea football club in west London yesterday, Mr Khan said: ‘Clearly I’m not safe, which is why I’ve got police protection’

Police officers in riot gear are pictured on patrol in Finchley, north London, near an immigration services office on Wednesday

Speaking at an anti-racism event organised by Chelsea football club in west London yesterday, Mr Khan said: ‘Clearly I’m not safe, which is why I’ve got police protection.’

The mayor was asked whether comments made by Lee Anderson, the Reform UK MP, accusing him of being controlled by ‘Islamists’ had contributed to the recent unrest.

‘I think for the last few years we’ve seen politicians, including from the last government, use language that’s not guarded,’ he replied.

‘Talking about an invasion, talking about Islam running the country, talking about Islam running London.

‘This sort of language leads to people believing some of this stuff. I think good politicians, positive politicians address people’s fears, poor ones play on people’s fears.

‘And these ones play on people’s fears with tropes and conspiracy theories, and they should reflect on the consequences of that.’

In an interview with the Guardian, Mr Khan reflected on how he grew up in the capital and experienced the threat posed by the National Front and BNP.

‘What’s heartbreaking to me is my children’s generation had never experienced what I had,’ he told the newspaper.

‘And they, for the first time, were scared. I thought I’d be the last generation to be scared, simply for who I am. And it breaks my heart.’

‘I’m somebody who grew up in the 1970s and 80s and experienced the National Front and the BNP and I thought that’s behind us.

‘Like a lot of people of my generation, I felt triggered by the events of the last couple of weeks in particular.

‘It’s difficult to explain the ripples when you’ve been targeted because of your religion or colour of your skin and you can’t change either of those things.

‘And whether you’re seeing physical acts of violence taking place in the north-west or the north-east, you feel it in London.’

New regulation of social media platforms – the Online Safety Act – became law in the UK last year but has not yet fully come into effect.

Once in place, it will require platforms to take ‘robust action’ against illegal content and activity, including around offences such as inciting violence.

But Mr Khan said the rioting over the last 10 days, sparked by the Southport attack, showed that reform of the regulation was necessary.

‘The way the algorithms work, the way that misinformation can spread very quickly and disinformation … that’s a cause to be concerned, we’ve seen a direct consequence of this,’ he added.

‘I think what the government should do very quickly is check whether the Online Safety Act is fit for purpose; I think it’s not fit for purpose.’

After the stabbings in Southport on July 29, an incorrect name and a false story around the background of the suspected perpetrator spread online.

In recent days Elon Musk, the owner of X, has been heavily criticised for posts about the disorder in the wake of the Southport stabbings.

The billionaire was called ‘deeply irresponsible’ by Justice Secretary Heidi Alexander for posting that ‘civil war is inevitable’ in the UK.

He also reposted an image of a fake news headline about the UK’s response to riots.

The Online Safety Act will, for the first time, make firms legally responsible for keeping users safe when they use their services.

It will require platforms to put in place clear and proportionate safety measures to prevent illegal and other harmful content from appearing and spreading on their sites.

The biggest platforms could face billions of pounds in fines if they do not comply.

Named managers could be held criminally liable in some instances, and sites may face having their access limited in the most severe cases.

Ofcom, which will oversee the new laws, on Wednesday urged social media companies to do more to deal with content stirring up hatred or provoking violence on Britain’s streets.

Asked about Mr Khan’s comments that new social media rules were ‘not fit for purpose’, Cabinet Office minister Nick Thomas-Symonds said the Government would keep the legislative framework for the Online Safety Act ‘under review’.

He added: ‘If we need to act in relation to online safety laws – we will. Sadiq Khan’s challenge is that we quickly review it, consider it, and that’s exactly what we will do.’