Former business secretary Vince Cable today accused Zac Goldsmith of running a “dog whistle anti-Islamic” campaign to defeat Sadiq Khan in the mayoral election.
Mr Khan has been criticised for sharing platforms with extremists before he was elected as an MP.
The senior Liberal Democrat said Mr Goldsmith was “out of line” with Londoners for raising the issue and attacking Mr Khan’s judgment in attending the meetings.
Mr Cable, who was MP for Twickenham, neighbouring Mr Goldsmith’s Richmond seat, said: “I have seen the guy in action over five years as an MP and I always thought he was a very decent kind of guy.
"But by going along with this dog whistle anti-Islamic stuff, it really is disreputable and not doing his campaign any good.”
Mr Cable said he would be voting for Lib-Dem mayoral candidate Caroline Pidgeon. He declined to say how he would use his second preference.
Mr Goldsmith’s allies rejected the charge, saying it was “completely untrue” to say there was an anti-Islamic element to his campaign.
The Tory MP has said such criticism is “absurd” and an attempt to close down the debate about Mr Khan’s judgment.
He said: “This is an issue of judgment and I think it’s legitimate for newspapers and for me, and anyone else with an interest in the outcome of this case, to ask those questions.”
Meanwhile, cricket legend Imran Khan has defended Mr Goldsmith’s campaign. He said: “My backing for Zac is purely on knowing him for 22 years and urging him to go into politics.”
Asked if Mr Goldsmith was Islamophobic, he told The Guardian: “Of course not. I think of anyone, he will be fair to minorities, I think he is very just.” @JoeMurphyLondon
Read More
MORE ABOUT