The Prime Minister has dismissed as “ridiculous nonsense” claims made by the US President suggesting that London aspires “to go to Sharia law.”
Sir Keir Starmer has voiced his support for Mayor Sadiq Khan following Donald Trump’s remarks at the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday.
During the address, Trump stated that the city has a “terrible mayor” and has been “changed.”
He further asserted: “Now they want to go to Sharia law. But you are in a different country, you can’t do that,” comments which Mayor Khan characterized as demonstrating Trump’s “racist, sexist, misogynistic and Islamophobic” views.
Sir Keir responded: “I’m not going to get drawn into a war of words, but what I will say is this, because it is important.”
“The state visit last week demonstrated numerous areas of agreement and collaboration between the President and myself.”
“However, disagreements exist on certain issues. The President’s remarks regarding the Mayor, who is doing an excellent job and notably reducing serious crime, and the assertion about the introduction of Sharia law, are utterly nonsensical.”
“I support our Mayor, I’m really proud of the fact we have a Muslim mayor of a very diverse city.”
“We do work with the Americans on a huge number of issues. On this issue I disagree, and I stand with our mayor.”
He added that he had spoken personally to Sir Sadiq regarding Trump’s assertions.
Sir Sadiq remarked that he appeared to be “living rent-free inside Donald Trump’s head.”
In response to the President’s description of him as a “terrible mayor,” he expressed gratitude that “we have record numbers of Americans coming to London.”
He highlighted that various criteria demonstrate London’s position as “often the number one city on the globe when it comes to culture.”
Cabinet minister Pat McFadden rejected the claim that London wanted to “go to” Sharia and said British law and “no other kind of law” applied in the UK.
Earlier this month, Justice Minister Sarah Sackman told the House of Commons Sharia formed “no part of the law of England and Wales.”
“Where people choose to put themselves before those councils, in common with Christian, Jewish and other courts of faith, that is part of religious tolerance which is an important British value,” she said.
While religious courts, including Sharia councils, do operate in the UK, most of their work deals with religious marriage arbitration and financial matters.
The government has been clear that their rulings are not legally binding.
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