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14 April 2016updated 27 Jul 2021 11:30am

The Labour dilemma of how to react to Zac Goldsmith’s London mayoral campaign

As racial politics from the Conservative camp intensifies, how are Labour figures and Sadiq Khan’s rival campaign reacting?

By Anoosh Chakelian

The nastiness of Zac Goldsmith’s campaign for the London mayoralty has presented his Labour rival, Sadiq Khan, with a dilemma.

So controversial and personal have the Conservative campaign’s insinuations been, Khan has had no choice but to call them out. But it doesn’t benefit Khan, who has been trying (with success) to run a positive campaign, to be constantly countering Tory tactics rather than carving his own path. Too much focus on Goldsmith would allow the Tories to dominate the narrative about the London mayoral election, however nasty their message is. Doing so could even inadvertently amplify the message.

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