Sadiq Khan Responds to London Assembly Member in Urdu, Sparking Debate

London Mayor Sadiq Khan responded to Green Party leader Zack Polanski in Urdu during a London Assembly session, a move that mirrored Polanski's recent use of the South Asian language in a by-election campaign video.

Polanski, a member of the London Assembly, is currently campaigning to become the Member of Parliament for Holborn and St Pancras in a by-election triggered by the resignation of former Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The by-election is scheduled for October 8.

During Mayor's Question Time, Khan stated, "I thought as the member is so proficient in Urdu that I would speak in Urdu." He added, "I was worried the question may be in Urdu. And for those Urdu speakers, I apologise if I spoke with a Russian accent."

Polanski's campaign video, released earlier this week, addressed voters in Urdu. He later also released a campaign video in French, which appeared to be a response to criticism of his Urdu video.

Critics, including Conservative politicians, have voiced concerns about politicians campaigning in languages other than English. Conservative local government spokesman Katie Lam tweeted that "attempting to appeal to group-based grievances by campaigning in foreign languages is poisonous." Conservative MP Helen Whately told Times Radio, "Politicians should be campaigning in the languages of the United Kingdom."

A spokesperson for the Green Party defended the approach, stating, "The Greens believe that democracy doesn't discriminate by languages spoken. Many people are bilingual. Holborn and St Pancras is a true reflection of the diversity of London and of our country and we choose to embrace and celebrate that."

Urdu is the national language of Pakistan and is spoken in parts of South Asia. Census data from 2021 indicates that French is spoken by 2,488 people in the Holborn and St Pancras constituency, compared to 156 who speak Urdu. While approximately 10 percent of voters in the constituency are of Bangladeshi origin, the official language of Bangladesh is Bengali.

Polanski is seeking to capitalize on the Green Party's performance in the May local elections, where the party secured second place in council wards within the constituency. He is considered a potential challenger to Labour's long-held dominance in the Holborn and St Pancras seat, which the party has represented since its creation in 1983.