I am a Sadiq Khan supporter. We have had our fun with Boris. He was light entertainment and a great relief from the shitty situation most of us had found ourselves in, post the financial crash of 2008. However it is now time to get London back on top. It is time for the poor to know that they are not just an inconvenience; for the elderly to feel safe in their homes; the young to get the right education and opportunities they deserve; and for everyone to have a London to enjoy, rather than feel excluded from the majority of it.
I recently read the above article and was reminded of the time when I first moved to London. During that time, I had a flat I couldn’t afford, no proper job and a partner who was suffering from depression, or an inability to be sure of his situation; I’ve no idea but it wasn’t necessarily the rainbow and roses I had hoped. As everyone does, I painted a happy picture on my face.
My first proper jobs were temporary positions and I was paid weekly. Due to this situation I had to choose between food and electricity; getting up earlier to catch the bus, as I couldn’t afford to get the tube to work and eat; not attending certain events with friends as I couldn’t afford to get there and eat / drink; and always working out how many journeys I would make that week verses that month, to see if the weekly / monthly pass would work out cheaper. On various occasions I didn’t attend weddings of friends and missed my cousin's funeral all because I couldn’t even afford the train/coach, accommodation, or flights, and I still feel crappy for missing out on such life events.
I’ve always been overly generous but during that time I had to become the person who paid for their drinks separately and avoided rounds, asking to be taken out of the bill split at the end of the meal. I hated it, it wasn’t me. Sometimes I tried to not be that person and during those times I would pay via credit card, this resulted with me getting into £5k in debt over two years…an amount which felt impossible to pay off and to this day I am still paying off. And this is why I have sympathy for those who are not in comfortable situations. It is so easy to forget that others don’t have it like you do and that once upon a time, you were not as comfortable as you are now.
I am pleased to say that I haven’t been in this position over the last few years, there have been times but never that bad. And yes, I would definitely claim I am bad with money, but it is because I have little respect for it: it is far too easy come and very easy go! Therefore, I enjoy it for what it is. I do not save and save and never have fun, but I also do not spend everything and live from nothing for weeks at a time. I am lucky: I have had support from my family and fiancée, I have a fantastic loving support network of friends and now have an incredible job and feel more appreciative than ever for my lot.
Due to this, I want others to know what this feels like. I’m in the belief that Sadiq Khan can help to do this. For too long, London has been run by politicians influenced by corporations and greedy friends. We are becoming more like America every year and I cannot stand it. Having watched Zac Goldsmith’s PR team constantly throw mud at Sadiq Khan has been shameful. These are not the movements of a strong, confident candidate, these are the actions of someone who is fearful that they’ve lost and are desperate to drag someone else down with them. And that is not the type of person who should run a City such as London, the constant attack that Sadiq Khan is a supporter of terrorism because he is Muslim, are like the constant questions about juggling family and work life that Women in the public eye get asked. It is shameful.
Therefore, I have voted Sadiq Khan, as he hasn’t thrown mud at anyone, and has time and time again stated his promises and hopes for the future. My only hope is that he lives up to the hype and delivers what he has promised. Time will tell.
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