Sadiq Khan warns western democracy at risk from ‘resurgent fascism’ ahead of Trump inauguration

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Sadiq Khan warns western democracy at risk from ‘resurgent fascism’ ahead of Trump inauguration
Author: Michael Savage Policy Editor
Published: Jan, 18 2025 17:00

London mayor calls for stricter laws on harmful online content and takes aim at Elon Musk. The west must face up to a century-defining battle against a resurgent far right that is on the march across the developed world, Sadiq Khan warns today, as he calls on ministers to take on extremism ahead of Donald Trump’s second inauguration as US president.

 [Elon Musk with Italy’s far right prime minister Giorgia Meloni, last September]
Image Credit: the Guardian [Elon Musk with Italy’s far right prime minister Giorgia Meloni, last September]

In the most strident rallying call of any senior British politician against the march of the right in the US, France and Germany, the London mayor warns of a “resurgent fascism” online and says that stricter laws on harmful content will be needed to stem the tide.

His intervention comes with hard-right figures from across Europe gathering for Trump’s inauguration on Monday. They include Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, and Éric Zemmour, a one-time French presidential candidate known for his xenophobia.

Writing for the Observer, Khan also takes aim at Elon Musk and the major social media bosses who have been accused of enabling hard right material to spread. He calls out “their financial backers who selfishly choose to put the profits of their companies over the interests of our democracies”.

“Progressives across the Western world face a century-defining challenge – and the stakes for liberal democracy couldn’t be higher,” he writes. “The hard-right and far-right are on the march. These are deeply worrying times, especially if you’re a member of a minority community. As historians and commentators increasingly find echoes of the 1920s and 30s in the present day, we cannot afford to throw in the towel.

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