Not feeling the heat, Sadiq? London mayor repeats his ridiculed habit of wearing a gilet under a blazer as he hits campaign trail with Tory hopeful Shaun Bailey closing in on his lead
- Sadiq Khan donned dowdy look as he went on campaign trail in Waltham Forest
- He has previously been compared to ‘struggling football manager’ for the look
- It comes as Conservative candidate Shaun Bailey closes is on his rival in the polls
- However the Labour incumbent looks on course to return as Mayor as it stands
Sadiq Khan’s dowdy gilet-under-a-blazer look was back in the spotlight once again as he hit the campaign trail ahead of tomorrow’s London Mayoral elections.
The Labour candidate sported the unconventional combination as he posed for selfies with residents in Waltham Forest today.
He has previously taken flak over the look – which has seen him compared to a manager of a struggling football side, or an office worker set for a wintry night in a beer garden.
The ‘fashion faux pas’ comes as Conservative candidate Shaun Bailey closes in on his rival ahead of tomorrow’s big vote.
YouGov’s final poll before the capital votes puts the Labour incumbent on 43 per cent in the first round.
Sadiq Khan’s dowdy gilet-under-a-blazer look was back in the spotlight once again as he hit the campaign trail ahead of tomorrow’s London Mayoral elections
The Labour candidate sported his unconventional gilet and suit jacket combination as he posed for selfies with residents in Waltham Forest today
That is down four points on last month while Mr Bailey is up one point to 31 per cent.
The numbers suggest Mr Khan is on course to win the contest in a second round run-off with Mr Bailey by 59 per cent to 41 per cent.
Overall, Mr Khan’s lead over Mr Bailey has fallen from 19 points to 12 points.
A separate survey conducted by Opinium suggested that the capital’s violent crime crisis could prevent Mr Khan from winning a majority in the first round with a majority of Londoners of the view that knife crime is getting worse.
The fashion faux pas comes as Conservative candidate Shaun Bailey closes in on his rival ahead of tomorrow’s big vote
YouGov suggested the fall in Mr Khan’s lead is due to 2019 Tory voters changing from ‘don’t knows’ last month to now backing Mr Bailey.
Some 23 per cent of 2019 Tory voters in the capital in April said they did not know who they would vote for but that number has now dropped to 13 per cent.
The London mayoral election uses a supplementary vote system with a candidate required to secure more than 50 per cent of the vote to win.
If no candidate is able to get past 50 per cent in the first round, the top two candidates then progress to a head-to-head run off, with second preference votes from the eliminated candidates then counted.
The YouGov survey puts Green candidate Sian Berry on 10 per cent, Lib Dem Luisa Porritt on five per cent, Reclaim’s Laurence Fox on three per cent, Brian Rose from the London Real Party on two per cent, WEP’s Mandu Reid on one per cent and Ukip’s Peter Gammons on one per cent.
On the final day of campaigning, Mr Khan was today out in Waltham Forest, sporting his gilet and jacket combination as he talked with residents.
He was ridiculed in October last year for sporting the same look as a he read a statement from City Hall.
Twitter user Sarah Ronan, joked that the London mayor was prepared for the winter lockdown to be spent drinking outside, writing: ‘Sadiq ready for Tier 2 Beer Garden Life in his body warmer.’
Some people compared the gilet and jacket look to a ‘struggling football manager’ or former Tottenham Hotspur boss José Mourinho, who often wears gilets and thick puffer jackets.
Other people chimed in to ask whether City Hall had paid the heating bill, worrying that the mayor needed a warm cup of tea.
Reviving the combination today, he spoke to cyclists and pub staff whilst on the campaign trail.
He also visited neighbour Newham and Leyton on the final day of his campaign ahead of tomorrow’s vote.
Conservative London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey was today with vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi during a visit to Kennington, London.
Lib Dem leader Luisa Porritt was joined by Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davy as she campaigned in Surbiton today.
The Green’s go into the election led by Sian Berry. There are also candidates Laurence Fox, for Reclaim, Brian Rose from the London Real Party, Mandu Reid from the WEP and Peter Gammons for UKIP, as well as other independents.
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