Vote for my friend Sadiq Khan. Don’t let toxic, incompetent Tory rule ruin our capital | Keir Starmer

Twenty-seven years ago today, the British people went to the polls and turned the page a disastrous period of the Tory government. It was a decisive choice, not only in favor of a new party, but in favor of a new policy. At this point, Britain voted for a minimum wage, peace in Northern Ireland, a million children lifted out of poverty, the shortest NHS waiting times in history and crime to be cut by a third.

Like most people in our country today, I wanted a general election tomorrow and the opportunity for Britain to once again look forward with hope. Rishi Sunak refused to let the nation have the floor for fear of the message the people would send. And yet the lot elections for councilors and mayors still offer millions of voters up and down England the chance to reject chaos, division and decay with the Tories and embrace stability, unity and renewal with Labour.

One of the most important decisions made tomorrow will be who will lead our nation’s capital. Labour’s candidate for Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, knows what it’s like to inherit a Tory smash. His predecessor spent eight years wasting away £53 million, £43 million of taxpayers’ moneyon a garden bridge to nowhere report burying about the appalling state of London’s air and the waste of taxpayers’ money unusable water cannon.

I have known Sadiq for many years and am proud to call him a friend and colleague. He is a man driven by the principle of giving people the same opportunities he had, which enabled him to go from a council estate in Tooting to leading our capital. During his tenure, Sadiq transformed City Hall from a laughing stock into a demonstration of leadership. Every pupil in every primary school in London now he gets free school meals. The capital the air is cleaner to breathe. The Hopper bus fare, allowing unlimited trips within an hour for one price, the Superloop express bus lines and the Elizabeth line all delivered. Complete housing completion recently reached their highest level in London since 1930 and more new council houses are being built now than at any time since the 1970s. And 330,000 good jobs have been created through town hall initiatives. This is the strength of Labor in government. And let’s not forget that Sadiq managed all this at the hands of a Tory government, just imagine what could be achieved working with Labour.

It’s worth remembering that since London’s return to government at the turn of the century, we’ve had just four years of a Labor mayor with a Labor prime minister. But by this time Crossrail had been agreed, the Olympics had been secured and huge numbers of social homes had been built. Now a new era of renewal is at hand. And if Labor can win an election in our capital and our country, a Labor government will support Sadiq to deal with 1,300 more police officers on the streets of London, build at least 40,000 new municipal housingcreate 150,000 well-paying, high-skilled jobs for Londoners and end rough sleeping forever.

That future hangs in the balance because the result of the London mayoral election will be close and the choice could not be greater. We simply cannot allow the Tories to damage London in the same way they have damaged Britain. A Tory mayor would mean less police on the streets, increased transport costs and less affordable housing. For some, the Tory candidate is a figure of ridicule, but the truth is that there is nothing even funny about her. Susan Hall reportedly has a dark history promoting extremist views, from climate change denial to the abuse of journalists and the legacy of Enoch Powell. Rishi Sunak knew this, but instead of getting rid of someone so woefully unfit to lead our nation’s capital, he supported her.

The Tories’ divisive candidate and campaign in London is yet another example of how out of touch they are with the aspirations of working people. They have no plan, no policy, no promise of a better tomorrow. In contrast, Labor has a vision and the determination to realize it.

One of the many great privileges of campaigning is having the chance to go out and hear from people in the places where they work, live and raise their families. Every community is different, but whether from Deptford, Dudley or Durham, our people are bound by the same immense pride they have at home. They know their communities best and what works best for them. This is why Labor is the party of devolution. We believe that Britain succeeds when everyone has a say and a stake.

And the next Labor government will stay true to that philosophy with a Take Back Control Actwhich will give mayors access to new powers over transport, skills, enterprise, energy, planning and our high streets.

Our ambition for more devolution is an integral part of a plan for higher growth, safer streets, more opportunities in every community, cheaper energy bills and getting the NHS back on its feet. With the opportunity to serve, we can change the lives of working people for the better and for the better in London and across the UK – and it starts tomorrow.

Vote for Sadiq and you’ll be voting for our mission to restore Britain’s future.