London mayoral election 2021: Sadiq Khan promises more jobs

Sadiq Khan was elected as London mayor in 2016

Sadiq Khan says he will put employment at the heart of his campaign to be re-elected as London mayor.

Mr Khan, the Labour candidate, said he would "bang the drum for London... to attract the jobs, tourism and investment" needed by the capital.

He also called for a programme of economic recovery similar to the post-war one of 1945.

Tory mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey said Mr Khan did not keep his promises.

The election takes place on 6 May.

LONDON'S ELECTION: THE BASICS

What's happening: On 6 May people will vote to elect a mayor as well as 25 members of the London Assembly. Together, they make up the Greater London Authority (GLA), which governs the capital - you can register to vote here.

What difference does it make? The mayor has a £19bn budget and is responsible for Transport for London, the Metropolitan Police, and has a role in housing, planning and the environment. The London Assembly holds the mayor to account by examining their policies. Find out more here.

Who is standing? London's current mayor, Labour's Sadiq Khan, is seeking re-election and his main challenger is Conservative Shaun Bailey, but there are 18 others running.

Mr Khan listed the challenges he has faced since becoming mayor in 2016, including "the horrific fire at Grenfell Tower; a series of cowardly terrorist attacks; and now this awful pandemic, which has cost so many lives and livelihoods".

He added: "We owe it to everyone who has lost their lives, to the key workers who have done so much to keep us safe, and to all those who have suffered to ensure we build an even better London after the pandemic."

Attract tourists to West End

He also said he would continue to tackle crime, build council homes and clean the city's air.

Unveiling details of plans for his second term, the current mayor promises to:

• Help more than 300,000 Londoners who lost their jobs during the pandemic to get back to work

• Get central London's economy back on track with £5m of investment dedicated to attracting Londoners and domestic tourists back to the West End

• Maximise City Hall expenditure to support London's recovery and help create or retain jobs

• Transform small business support in London by making it simpler for owners and aspiring entrepreneurs to access advice and support

But Mr Khan's rival Mr Bailey said: "Londoners have no time for someone who doesn't keep his promises.

"Instead of trying to tackle knife crime, Sadiq Khan cut £38m from police budgets," he said.

"Instead of trying to build more homes, Sadiq Khan just blamed the government. Instead of growing the transport network, he racked up waste and debt meaning Transport for London needed two government bailouts last year."

On Thursday morning, Mr Khan visited Hot Milk, a café in Bounds Green, north London, that has been hit by the pandemic.

Mr Khan at the Hot Milk Café in north London, for the launch of his re-election campaign

It has been supported by a £5,000 Back to Business grant from City Hall, and raised over £12,500 through Mr Khan's Pay It Forward London initiative.

"We have had a dreadful year, but there's finally some light at the end of the tunnel for Londoners," Mr Khan said.

"In 1945, a Labour government rebuilt Britain from the ashes of war. Like so many, I benefited from their work decades later, as I grew up on a council estate and was given the opportunities to fulfil my potential and become mayor of the greatest city on earth.

"That's why jobs, jobs, jobs are a top priority for my second term. I want the government to back this ambition with a jobs guarantee, creating opportunities for Londoners, particularly in the key industries of the future."

Mr Khan said he would continue to tackle crime in the capital

He said the election would be a "two-horse race" between him and Mr Bailey and "would be about how we choose to respond in the aftermath of an historic crisis.

"I promise to continue standing up for London's values, relentlessly bang the drum for London - both at home and abroad - to attract jobs and investment, and fight for the national investment we need in the face of the most anti-London government in living memory."