Sadiq Khan’s claim that Brexit shrunk London’s economy by £30billion is “rubbish and he knows it”, Ben Habib has said.
Reform UK’s deputy leader, a candidate in next month’s Wellingborough by-election who launched his campaign today, was commenting on a survey commissioned by the London Mayor and published last week.
The independent report by Cambridge Econometrics, commissioned by City Hall, assessed the impact on the UK’s economy as a whole of Britain’s decision to quit the bloc.
Sharing the results via his personal X account, Mr Khan said Brexit mean London’s economy was £30billion smaller than it would have been, with 290,000 fewer jobs, with Londoners nearly £3,400 a year worse off than they would have been otherwise.
In total, Mr Khan suggested Brexit had cost the UK’s economy a whole £140billion.
The report was greeted with scepticism among many economists, with Robert Colvile, writing for the CapX financial news website, suggesting it largely overlooked the impact of the pandemic, branding the figures circulated by Mr Khan “straight out of fantasyland”.
Reacting on social media Mr Habib agreed, suggesting Mr Khan knew his Brexit claims were “rubbish” and accusing him of “putting London down (with lies).”
He added: “He should be promoting our great city.
“His prejudices are his governing principles.”
Nigel Farage, who as well as being a GB News presenter is also Reform UK’s honorary president, previously suggested Mr Khan should focus on other priorities.
He pointed out: “More than 1,000 murders have taken place in London in the 2,773 days since Sadiq Khan was first elected. Perhaps he should focus more on that and less about Brexit.”
In a keynote speech delivered at Mansion House on Thursday, Mr Khan called for “an honest and mature discussion about the best way forward”.
He insisted: “It’s now obvious that Brexit isn’t working. The hard-line version of Brexit we’ve ended up with is dragging our economy down and pushing up the cost of living.
“It’s making food more expensive, adding to the acute pressures on households and having an ongoing detrimental impact on industries that are crucial to our success – such as hospitality, construction and financial services.”
Mr Khan continued: “I’d rather not be talking about Brexit again.
“But part of being the Mayor of London is about standing up for our city.
“We’ve got to be frank – Brexit is simply not a peripheral concern that we can leave in the past – it’s a key contributor to the cost-of-living crisis right now and it’s resulting in lost opportunities, lost business and lost income at a time when people and companies can least afford it.”
Express.co.uk has contacted Mr Khan via the Mayor of London’s Office for comment.
