'Put money towards safety!' Sadiq Khan slammed for £25K contract for police 'allyship' training
Sadiq Khan has been criticised for advertising a 25,000 contract for sessions to promote "anti-racism allyship"
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Sadiq Khan has been criticised for advertising a 25,000 contract for sessions to promote "anti-racism allyship", with the Tories saying that the money instead should be going towards "front-line policing".
The Mayor's Office of Policing and Crime posted the contract last month, saying it was seeking a "highly qualified and experienced facilitator to lead a session on anti-racism allyship" for members of the London Policing Board.
But hitting out at the contract, a Tory source said that the safety of Londoners should be "top of the agenda".
They told GB News: "The board is stacked with Khan’s political appointees, making its scrutiny of the mayor about as transparent as a brick wall.
The Mayor's Office advertised the contract last month
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"Money should be going to front line policing, getting more bobbies on the beat – that’s why Susan Hall would put £200 million into the Met, and put the safety of Londoners back at the top of the agenda."
The advertisement, which closed today, was for a contract valued at between £10,000 to £25,000.
The description read: "The initial session will aim to foster a supportive and inclusive environment where participants can engage in meaningful conversations to explore racism and effective allyship practices as members of the London Policing Board.
"The overarching goal is to empower all participants, regardless of their individual backgrounds, to actively contribute toward driving improvements to the Metropolitan Police Service in addressing racism, and supporting one another in doing this.
"The session should foster a safe and inclusive space for open and honest dialogue, encourage active participation, and provide actionable strategies to enhance the participants' allyship skills.
"It should reference the multiple intersecting forms of prejudice, including racism, misogyny, LGBT+, disability, and faith."
Earlier this year, the London Mayor said that racism in the police is still a "matter of life and death" for Black Britons today.
Speaking on the 25th anniversary of the damning Macpherson report, which said the Metropolitan Police was institutionally racist, Khan hit out at a “deeply disturbing political trend to downplay or even deny the existence of institutional racism".
He said: "Institutional racism isn’t 'fake' or 'woke', it’s worryingly real."
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The Mayor added: "Although progress has been made in improving racism in the police, I’m afraid it is nowhere near enough where we need to be. In some instances, things are going backwards.
"One of the main reasons I asked Louise Casey to conduct an investigation into the standards of the Met Police is because I am well aware of these cultural issues that still exist."
The Mayor's Office has been contacted for comment.
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