New PM Liz Truss and I need to work together, says Sadiq Khan

Sadiq Khan said London needed to be "firing on all cylinders" to help with the nation's recovery

The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has said he and Liz Truss should "work together in the national interest" when she becomes prime minister.

Mr Khan said a national recovery from the cost of living crisis was dependent on London "firing on all cylinders".

His comments were made after Ms Truss recently pledged to "make London Conservative again", accusing the mayor of "holding London back".

Mr Khan told BBC London her criticism of him was "silly knockabout stuff".

Shortly after Ms Truss was announced as the winner of the Conservative leadership contest, Mr Khan congratulated her but warned she was taking over "at a time of national crisis".

He said: "We've got to work together in the national interest, not the party political interests.

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"That means, you know, working together to address soaring inflation, working together to address energy prices, working together to help those parents choosing between skipping a meal in order to feed their kids, pensioners choosing between heating or eating."

He later said Londoners were experiencing "economic pain" worse than they saw during the 2008 financial crash or the Covid-19 pandemic and called on Ms Truss to act immediately to help.

"It is really important that this week we see urgent plans from our prime minster for how she responds to soaring inflation and the rising cost of energy," he said.

Liz Truss is set to become prime minister on Tuesday

Ms Truss recently took aim at Mr Khan at a Tory leadership hustings, saying she will work to stop the mayor's "anti-growth madness" and tackle crime in the capital.

She said: "I will make sure our police are policing the streets and not policing Twitter."

Mr Khan, when asked by the BBC about an independent report critical of his "entirely unacceptable" handling of ex-Metropolitan Police commissioner Cressida Dick's exit, said he would not apologise for holding her to account and claimed the report's version of events was untrue.

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