Keir Starmer is facing demands from Labour MPs to reprimand Donald Trump’s administration after the US president falsely claimed London wanted to “go to sharia law” under its “terrible mayor”, Sadiq Khan.
In an address to the UN general assembly, Trump said: “I look at London, where you have a terrible mayor, terrible, terrible mayor, and it’s been changed, it’s been so changed. Now they want to go to sharia law. But you are in a different country, you can’t do that.”
The development will cause further discomfort in No 10 after Trump was last week honoured with an unprecedented second state visit to the UK. Starmer has repeatedly cited the ability to avoid the worst of US tariffs as a reason for his largely conciliatory approach to Trump.
Rosena Allin-Khan, the MP for Tooting, said Warren Stephens, the US ambassador to the UK and an ally of Trump, should be called to account for the president’s remarks.
“The US ambassador should be summoned and challenged over Trump’s rampant Islamophobia,” she wrote on X. “Trump continually spreads lies. In London, we celebrate our diversity and reject racists and bigots. London is the greatest city in the world in huge part due to Sadiq Khan’s leadership.”
A spokesperson for Khan said: “We are not going to dignify his appalling and bigoted comments with a response. London is the greatest city in the world, safer than major US cities and we’re delighted to welcome the record number of US citizens moving here.”
Khan was also defended by Wes Streeting, the health secretary, who wrote on X: “Sadiq Khan is not trying to impose sharia law on London. This is a mayor who marches with Pride, who stands up for difference of background and opinion, who’s focused on improving our transport, our air, our streets, our safety, our choices and chances.”
Rupa Huq, the MP for Ealing Central and Acton, wrote: “Blatant barefaced lies as any factcheck or reality check will attest.” Dawn Butler, the MP for Brent East, wrote: “Now is the time to stick up for your country. Don’t let Trump lie about us in this way.”
Trump has been attacking Khan since 2015, when the Labour politician condemned the then presidential candidate’s suggestion that Muslims should be banned from travelling to the US.
Last week, while returning from his state visit to the UK, Trump described Khan as “among the worst mayors in the world” and claimed he had made sure Khan was not invited to the banquet he attended at Windsor. Sources close to the mayor said this was false.
Analysis from Khan’s office shows that a record number of US citizens have applied for UK citizenship since Trump won the presidential election last November. The figure for April to June was 2,194 – a rise of 50% on the same period last year.
In an article in the Guardian shortly before the state visit, Khan said the US president had “perhaps done the most to fan the flames of divisive, far-right politics around the world in recent years”.
The special relationship between the UK and US, the mayor said, included “being open and honest with each other”, adding: “At times, this means being a critical friend and speaking truth to power. This includes being clear that we reject the politics of fear and division.”
