Sadiq Khan has argued that it is not currently safe for politicians to walk the streets of London, following Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer being mobbed this week.
This comes after Boris Johnson made a claim that Starmer had personally failed to prosecute prolific sex offender Jimmy Savile.
Following that Starmer was mobbed by a group of people claiming he had let Savile off and calling him a "traitor".
Appearing on Good Morning Britain, the Mayor of London spoke of his concern, mentioning that outside the studio that he had five armed police officers to keep him safe because of "threats to my life".
'Is it safe for politicians to walk around the streets of London right now?'
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) February 9, 2022
'No.'@SadiqKhan says 'words have consequences' and it shouldn't be that he needs '5 armed police officers' to protect him on the streets of London. pic.twitter.com/DXB59kuu5y
He said: "Keir Starmer and David Lammy were walking from the Ministry of Defence after receiving a briefing about Ukraine, walking back to their offices in Parliament [and] they were threatened.
"One of the officers protecting Keir Starmer was one of my police protection officers and it shouldn't be the norm that politicians have to have protection to look after them.
READ MORE: Boris Johnson criticised after Keir Starmer heckled by mob
"I think by the way that words have consequences. When you're on the dispatch box in the House of Commons and you're the Prime Minister and you are normalising conspiracy theories, not only are you distracting from serious allegations of you yourself breaking the law with 'Bring your own booze', but you are normalising far-right theories."
Khan also made a point of MPs who have been killed in the last few years, such as Jo Cox and Sir David Amess, to make a point of a need to make a safer environment for politicians.
He added: "I don't want to live in a society where I can't mix and mingle with ordinary Londoners and if we get to that stage I think we'll rue it."
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