Sadiq Khan 'facing death threats from Islamists and needs round-the-clock police protection'
28 February 2024, 14:06 | Updated: 29 February 2024, 14:10
Sadiq Khan is facing death threats from Islamists and now requires police protection, according to reports, just days after the now suspended MP Lee Anderson accused the mayor of being "controlled" by extremists.
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Although only reserved for members of the royal family and some senior cabinet members, a source close to Sadiq Khan has revealed that he has been receiving police protection since 2017.
Mr Khan has been threatened by both far-right and Islamist extremists, the source also claims.
London's Labour Mayor, who denounced Islamist terrorists after the three jihadist attacks terrorised the country in 2017, two in the capital and one in Manchester, has the protection of 15 police.
The source told the Guardian: "Sadiq faces threats from a wide range of sources.
"His main concern has always been the safety of his family, and also that young people from his background will be put off entering public life."
Read more: Sadiq Khan accuses Rishi Sunak of 'enabling anti-Muslim hatred' in the Conservative Party
On Tuesday evening it was revealed that the London mayor received death threats after Mr Anderson accused Mr Khan of being controlled by Islamists who has "given our capital away to his mates".
One Ipswich resident even made threats aimed at Mr Khan in two 999 calls to Suffolk Police's control room.
Christopher Massey, 52, has since pleaded guilty to two counts of sending communication threatening death or serious harm under the new online Safety Act.
"He may face a prison term and will be sentenced on March 21 under the 2023 Online Saftey Act.
On Friday, Mr Anderson also said that the Islamists have "got control of Starmer as well".
Meanwhile, Mr Anderson has conceded that his words were "clumsy" but that he refused to apologise directly to the London Mayor "while I've got a breath in my body."
"They keep bandying this word 'Islamophobia' about, nobody can explain what it really means," he claimed.
On LBC, Immigration Minister Michael Tomlinson repeatedly failed to answer Nick Ferrari's questions about Lee Anderson's comments on Sadiq Khan.
Whilst Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has condemned his fellow Tory MP’s words, he has refused to describe Mr Anderson’s comets as racist.
Nick Ferrari cuts of Illegal Immigration Minister after he refuses to confirm if Lee Anderson's
In response, Sadiq Khan said that the prime minister's refusal to describe Mr Anderson's comments as racist was "a tacit endorsement of anti-Muslim hatred and can only lead to the conclusion that anti-Muslim bigotry and racism are not taken seriously."
Scotland's first minister also waded into the controversy by accusing Rishi Sunak of prioritising tackling antisemitism over Islamophobia, accusing the party of being "riddled with Islamophobia"
Humza Yousaf said: "It certainly looks like" there is a difference in how the government is treating the two issues.
Meanwhile, another Tory MP has been accused of Islamophobia after describing areas with large Muslim populations in Birmingham and London as "no-go" locations.
Paul Scully said: "The point I am trying to make is if you look at parts of Tower Hamlets, for example, where there are no-go areas, parts of Birmingham Sparkhill, where there are no-go areas, mainly because of doctrine, mainly because of people using, abusing in many ways, their religion to … because it is not the doctrine of Islam, to espouse what some of these people are saying.
