Ze Zack Goldsmith is the Conservative
candidate for London Mayor and we hope
to speak to him later in the show. But
now we're joined by another man who
wants to lead the UK's capital. It's the
respect party leader and former MP
George Galloway. Welcome back to the
Daily Politics. Would Zach Goldmith make
a good mayor of London? Well, housing
and transport are not issues that have
ever had to trouble him in his own life.
Of course, he is the heir to a 700
million pound personal fortune. If we
want another blonde oldian to as mayor,
you couldn't get a better one. He's a
very honorable uh person, a principled
person. Uh but as uh Tim just said, he's
not Boris Johnson. Labour's candidate is
not Ken Livingston. And that's the
problem for both of those parties,
right? I mean, you talk about Zach
Goldsmith's background, but why should
that be of particular interest to
Londoners? I mean, it won't necessarily
stop him winning. I I think that it will
uh stop him winning. Didn't stop Boris.
It didn't, but two in a row uh would be
one old Etonian too many. I think uh he
doesn't know the lives of ordinary
Londoners. He is uh a gilded youth, a
great Gatsby figure, albeit a rather
more pleasant one. So I I I think that
the uh Tory I mean the fact that only
6,000 Tories even voted for him in this
election 6 it was a small it was a small
number of election but I mean in terms
of policy differences where would you
sort of draw policy differences between
you and Zach Goldsmith well many of his
friends are a cause of London's housing
problem the gentrification of some areas
super gentrification the building of uh
very expensive of houses often times not
even lived in. But that's not his
policy, is it, George? It is. I'm I'm
going to compulsorily purchase any house
that isn't lived in for a year. I'm
going to insist that half of all new
build in London are uh our social
housing at 50% of the average rents in
the area. Now, that's a clear cut across
the interests of the very richest people
that Zach Goldmith represents. Now you
have talked about them being uh sort of
a light version if you like of both Ken
Livingston and Boris Johnson, Sadi Khn
and Zack Goldsmith, but really it is
going to be a contest between those two.
You're not going to get a look in. Well,
I wouldn't be here on your show if that
were true. Uh well, we may be helping
you by uh you being here getting some
publicity. I know you've always tried to
be helpful, but the the the the reality
is that London has had two mayors. Both
of them have been larger than life
figures, big personalities, people that
are nationally known, even
internationally known. I'm afraid
neither the Tory nor the Labor candidate
fit that bill. Right. I put you it's
going to be difficult for you to give
them a run for their money. Well, once
the hustings begin, the television
debates, radio debates in in town halls
across all London's burs, I think you'll
see one candidate shining more than
others. And it won't be Zach and it
won't be sad. Right. Well, let's turn to
Sadi Khn because in a way he's going to
squeeze you out because he's on the left
of the Labour Party. Um, and he will be
sucking up most of the support that you
might have got. I don't know where you
get that that he's on the left of the
party's first act when uh chosen was to
distance himself as far as he possibly
could with Jeremy Corbin. He attacked
Jeremy Corbin's economic policy as
ridiculous. He said that Jeremy Corbyn
had encouraged terrorism in London by
his stand on Ireland and on Middle East
issues. Uh he has gone out of his way to
try and say to people, I'm not Ken
Livingston and I'm definitely not Jeremy
Corbin. So he has alienated the
Corbinista wave if you like. And are you
saying he couldn't get elected without
that Corbinista wave? I mean let's have
a look at some of the things you have
said about Sadi Khan because these are
tweets um that you have put out
recently. If I am mayor, the city will
pay every penny of the Robin Hood tax.
My opponent Sadi Khan has pledged
himself to be the sheriff of Nottingham.
You did also stand up this week. Well,
these are your tweets in response. I
support Jeremy Corbyn. This is you and
his policies. Sadi Khan supports Corbyn
as the rope supports the hanging man.
And you also said Sadique Khan MP is a
rancid traitor to his faith Islam and to
any conceivable definition of labor.
That's a bit harsh. That last one is a
bit harsh. Let me take that back. Do you
take that back? Let me publicly take
that back. Right. Yes. I've forgotten I
I ever said that. I must have been
particularly Well, George Galloway, I'm
really glad you we've reminded you. But
I mean, but even so, you've taken it
back, but a rancid traitor to his faith.
What was that based on? I can't even
recall it. Uh it must have been in
relation to Palestine, his equation of
support for the Palestinians with
support for terrorism. This But it
didn't warrant that sort of. And you
don't think it's true? No, I take it
back. I humbly apologize, Milot. Uh but
the other but the other
points unarguable. Yeah. Well, he is
supporting Jeremy Corbin as the rope
supports the hanging man because he
hopes for Jeremy Corbin's failure. He
didn't vote for him. He said he
nominated him. He said he wouldn't serve
in his shadow cabinet. He said his
economic policy is ridiculous. He said
his foreign policy is encouraging
terrorism. Uh and so on. He he is as far
from Jeremy Corbin as it's possible to
be. And but does that matter? But does
that matter with the Labor um or
leftleaning electorate in London?
Because in a way Sadi Khan was way
ahead. He did very well in that in that
Labor contest. Um he does represent for
many people, not in your mind, the sorts
of policies that have obviously gone
down well with Labour supporters. Well,
I think he will not attract votes that
are sympathetic to Corbin. And his
problem or Labour's problem is that he
will not attract votes that Dame
Baroness Tessa Jaw would have attracted.
Are you disappointed it wasn't her?
You'd have had an easier fight with her
in your eyes. I would have uh looked
forward to the very clear blue. So, this
is sour grapes then, George Gallow.
You're you're you're annoyed. You're
annoyed at Sadique K because it does
make your pitch harder. No, it would
have if he hadn't attacked Corbin so
vehemently with such venom as he did in
the Mail on Sunday in the Jewish
Chronicle uh just days after Jeremy's
election. Right. But in a way that still
doesn't change the fact that he is the
the Labour candidate. He's distanced
himself from Jeremy Corbyn. Londoners
seem to quite like mavericks that
distance themselves if you like from
their leaders. And this will be about
independent characters as you have said.
So does it does it does it actually
matter? If he was sitting here, most of
your viewers would by now be asleep. The
very last thing he is is a character. Uh
Zack Goldsmith's more of a character.
Boris Johnson, Ken Livingston were
characters. Sadi Khan is a very boring
man and I'm not sure that London wants a
very boring Let's Let's just open this
up to our guests. What say you? Well, he
is a little bit dull, I have to tell
you. I mean, I call him Mr. Mutter
because it's very I've, you know,
watched him in the comments for years
and it's kind of discern what he's
saying and how he's saying it and his
point is often very muddled. Um, so I
think he is a little bit boring. He was
on Have I Got News for You and I thought
he'd put on a pretty good show on Have I
Got News for You. But the thing is he's
he's down to earth. He's a son of a bus
driver. I think that will resonate with
quite a few Londoners, but I think
you're right. He's certainly not Ken
Livingstone. He's not in the charisma
league of those people. I try to imagine
him stuck on the zip wire. This is this
is my what I'm trying to do. I think all
the candidates from that particular
image that but the thing is you risk
splitting the left and in the end you
have said you are delighted that Jeremy
Corbyn has won the Labour leadership. Do
you think Jeremy Corbyn would rather
have you then as the Labour candidate
rather than Sadique Car in his heart? Uh
I'm sure he would. Can you see into his
heart? Has he actually said that? We sat
in this very room uh together just a few
weeks ago and I won't breach the uh
terms of the of the conversation. He's
never stopped you before George
Galloway. Sure. He's a lifelong friend
of mine. I wouldn't do that. But I think
he knows that my politics are a lot
closer to his than Sadi Khan's. So why
don't you rejoin the party? Well, the
the the the point I wanted to make, if I
may, to your last question, it's a
preferential vote. So anybody who votes
for me can vote for Sadi Khan with their
number two vote. And if he come be very
grateful. Well, well, he might he might
in the end. What about the rejoining the
party? Because you said you would. You
said you'd be there like a shot if
Jeremy Corbyn wins. Well, there he is.
Why aren't you in the party? No. What I
did say uh and I I could quote it to you
verbatim if you'd like. Is that my
expulsion my expulsion needs to be
received because that effectively would
reinstate me into the Labor Party. I'm
not going to go cap in hand to uh a
party that shouldn't have expelled me in
the first place. I'll forgo the apology,
even forgo my legal cost. Are you
listening Labour Party? Because as I
understand it, they don't want they
don't want you but they don't want you
back. Well, you you misunderstand that
then if that's what is that really true?
I mean, I admit admit this is a reported
comment, but apparently uh George
Galloway, this is a Labour spokesman,
said has not applied to rejoin the
Labour Party, hence your not wanting to
go cap in hand and he will not be
receiving an invitation. No, I I don't
want an invitation. I don't want to
rejoin the Labour Party. I want my
expulsion to be rescended. Has Jeremy
Corbyn said he'll do that? I I will ipso
facto be a member of the Labour party
that I tried very hard and Mr. Foot and
Mr. Ben and Mr. Corbin were my character
witnesses at my expulsion. So will you
be expecting Jeremy Corbyn to do that
for you? Uh I'm not expecting anything.
I'm running for mayor of London. I'm
doing quite well. Don't tell anybody. I
won't. We'll keep it a secret. George
Galloway. blanket.