Sadiq Khan thinks that the London Bridge attack should encourage us to vote in the election

‘One of the things that we can do to show we’re not going to be cowed’

sadiq khan

‘One of the things that we can do to show we’re not going to be cowed’

London Bridge was the target of a terrorist attack on Saturday night, with seven people confirmed dead and a further 48 hospitalised as a result.

The London Bridge terror attack, which was the third to take place in the UK in the past three months, involved a white van driving into pedestrians on London Bridge, before the attackers got out at Borough Market and stabbed pedestrians and diners at local restaurants.

With the general election fast-approaching, taking place this coming Thursday, there has been some pressure for the public vote to be suspended and some people have voiced a fear in turning up to polling stations.

However, Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, thinks there is no better way to overcome terror, encouraging people to vote in the election so as not to let the terrorists win.

‘One of the great things about our way of life is our democracy,’ he announced in an interview the morning after the attack.

‘Elections are a wonderful thing and that’s one of the things that these terrorists hate and one of the things that we can do to show we’re not going to be cowed is by voting on Thursday and making sure that we understand the importance of our democracy, our civil liberties, and our human rights.’

He continued: ‘I’m not an advocate of postponing the election. I’m a passionate believer in democracy and making sure that we vote and that we recognise that actually one of the things these terrorists hate is voting, they hate democracy, they hate elections, and the public choosing who should be our leaders rather than leaders being imposed on us. That’s why I’ll be voting on Thursday.’

Jenny Proudfoot
Features Editor

Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. She has worked at Marie Claire UK for seven years, rising from intern to Features Editor and is now the most published Marie Claire writer of all time. She was made a 30 under 30 award-winner last year and named a rising star in journalism by the Professional Publishers Association.