To delight London City Hall, two diversity candidates

His next candidate in Thursday’s municipal election, Sadiq Khan, a 50 – year – old Labor candidate, will be presented with a victory over his conservative opponent, one – year – old Shaun Bailey, who grew up like him in an ordinary family in the capital of nine million people.

Postponed for a year by the epidemic, these local elections should allow the 48 million voters in the UK to renew 5,000 seats in 143 local assemblies, and Scotland to appoint a new regional parliament, an important vote against the background will for independence.

Only 45% of people are self-proclaimed because of the cosmopolitan nature of the metropolis. “White Britain“According to the 2011 census, this face-to-face meeting is the exception on a ballot, where the majority of leading candidates are white.

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This comes at a time when the Black Lives Matter movement has renewed the debate on racism and colonialism in a country where the politics of an elite still largely preserved, molded on the axes of the universities of Cambridge and Oxford.

“The city elected me mayor in 2016, which shows how progressive it is“Sadiq Khan, the son of a Pakistani bus driver who became the first Muslim city councilor in a major western capital, defeats Boris Johnson,” AFP reported.

Sean Bailey dreams of becoming “London’s first black mayor“, An activity that enjoys better visibility nationally,”The first black politician of this status in Europe“, Rating with AFP”It is important that people are represented“.

– Controversies –

In 2016, Sadiq Khan defeated the wealthy Tory Jack Goldsmith, a pure product of the elite who do not believe in Islamist propaganda.

“So it is not surprising that the Conservatives decided to choose a candidate from a minority.“, To present itself”A liberal, inclusive party“, Analysis for AFP Steven Fielding, Professor of Political History, University of Nottingham.

However, Sean Bailey was not spared the controversy, as he was criticized for questioning certain aspects of multiculturalism a few years ago or being considered reactionary about women.

But beyond the appearance of candidates and discriminatory divisions, their “PersonalitySimon Asherwood, a political scientist at the University of Surrey, recalls the case of Boris Johnson with the AFP.

Shawn Bailey gave up: “Thanks for a personal experience for my background, but this is not the only thing I can bring“.

Raised by his mother, who was a special adviser to former Prime Minister David Cameron, this former social worker wants to give to London. “A fresh start“With more jobs and housing.

He also promises to return the screw safely against the scourge of stabbings, which Sadiq Khan has been accused of failing to prevent.

– Progress “Surface“-

According to experts, the situation in London confirms the progress made in recent years in terms of political diversity, even if the room for progress is significant.

Many conservative ministers belong to minorities such as the interior or finance ministry.

But the question arises in knowing. “How honest it is“, Underlines Steven Fielding: Labor and Conservative parties are very white, fighting racism, Islamophobia or anti-Semitism, especially on social media.

This is a breakthrough for Dibish Anand, head of the Department of Social Sciences at the University of Westminster. “Surface“Political discourse is essentially towards the white United Kingdom, with the very right-wing and nationalist position of government.

Thus, despite exploring the conscience of racism, the country endorsed a controversial statement denying institutional racism and defending dental and nail national players such as Winston Churchill, who was questioned in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement.

According to experts, the change will come through education, mobilization of civil society or reform of the nomination process.

Sadiq Khan Say House “Hope“For the future, because”A new generation of really talented politicians is coming from different fields and they will accelerate progress“.