Cytat:
Some Londoners don't want a Muslim Mayor. Maybe London isn't so different after all
A third of Londoners aren't comfortable with the idea of a Muslim Mayor, and they're not alone
London is different, we're often told. The capital is meant to be a cosmpolitan hive of diversity and tolerance. Ukip's Suzanne Evans infamously blamed London's "more media-savvy and educated" population for her party's lack of success in the capital during the 2014 local elections, but it turns out that in some ways, Londoners are quite like their fellow Britons.
According to YouGov, nearly a third (31 per cent) of Londoners would be uncomfortable if the next London Mayor was Muslim. The company, which surveyed 1,153 adults for LBC, found that Londoners were more uneasy about the idea of Muslim mayor than they were about one who was female (only 4 per cent expressed discomfort), gay (16 per cent), or from an ethnic minority (13 per cent).
Now, you could take a glass half-full view of the poll, and say that it shows that a lot of Londoners are actually comfortable with a Muslim mayor. But (even if the poll isn't under-stating the figure as some people are shy about expressing their view), this level of feeling is politically significant. The findings present a big problem for the two prominent London Muslim politicians who are hoping to follow Boris Johnson into City Hall: Labour's Sadiq Khan and Conservative MEP Syed Kamall.
This may surprise some who would point to London's diverse population, and its "one-man melting pot" Mayor. The fact that Sadiq Khan and Syed Kamall are major contenders in the race for City Hall, some say, shows how cosmopolitan the capital has become. Mr Khan and Mr Kamall are sons of immigrants, with their fathers coming from Pakistan and Guyana respectively to work as bus drivers in Britain. However, Londoners barely differ from their fellow Britons in how they think about immigration.
The 2015 British Election Study found that 34.7 per cent of the White Britons outside London surveyed said that immigration strongly undermined cultural life, while 34.4 per cent of White British Londoners said the same. The difference in attitude is negligible and well within the margin of error. It's worth looking at the fascinating analysis by Professor Eric Kaufmann of Birkbeck College of Ukip's performance among White British voters without qualifications, which found that "Londoners are actually more Ukip-friendly than average".
Muslims now make up around 12.4 per cent of London's population, which is nearly three times as much as the proportion they make up of the population (4.8 per cent) across the UK. Over a million Muslims live in London, making up 37.4 per cent of Britain's Muslim population. However, this does not seem to have tempered Londoners' attitude towards Muslims.
Londoners are actually more racially segregated than the rest of Britain, according to a report by the Social Integration Commission, despite socialising more with people of different ethnic groups. "Those interactions are proportionally less representative of the diversity of the area Londoners live in compared to the interactions of those outside London," it warned.
YouGov's polling adds weight to the truism that older people are more likely to be hardline towards immigration, with 49 per cent of those aged over 60 expressing unease about the idea of a Muslim Mayor. That presents an extra difficulty for practising Muslims Sadiq Khan and Syed Kamall, as older people are stereotypically more likely to vote than young people.
Both politicians have yet to be chosen as their party's City Hall candidate, so what does the poll mean in practice? Londoners are far more interested in Zac Goldsmith, with 79 per cent of those surveyed saying he'd be the best Conservative candidate, than they are with Mr Kamall (only 6 per cent).
Sadiq Khan is faring better in the polls, with YouGov putting him at 21 per cent as the best prospective Labour candidate, second only to Tessa Jowell (who rides high at 42 per cent). Khan's campaign is aware of this, hence its attempt to push the "#SadiqvZac" hashtag, but the polls suggest that, in a direct contest, he would lose 46-54 against Zac Goldsmith.
Mr Khan recently told the Guardian that London electing a Muslim Mayor would "say something about our confidence as a city", adding: "The idea that the mayor of London could be son of an immigrant, son of a bus driver, ethnic minority – and by the way, of Islamic faith – would speak volumes."
However, the one third of Londoners that feel uneasy about the very prospect could stop him - and Mr Kamall - from getting to City Hall. Londoners aren't necessarily as liberal as they are made out to be.
A third of Londoners aren't comfortable with the idea of a Muslim Mayor, and they're not alone
London is different, we're often told. The capital is meant to be a cosmpolitan hive of diversity and tolerance. Ukip's Suzanne Evans infamously blamed London's "more media-savvy and educated" population for her party's lack of success in the capital during the 2014 local elections, but it turns out that in some ways, Londoners are quite like their fellow Britons.
According to YouGov, nearly a third (31 per cent) of Londoners would be uncomfortable if the next London Mayor was Muslim. The company, which surveyed 1,153 adults for LBC, found that Londoners were more uneasy about the idea of Muslim mayor than they were about one who was female (only 4 per cent expressed discomfort), gay (16 per cent), or from an ethnic minority (13 per cent).
Now, you could take a glass half-full view of the poll, and say that it shows that a lot of Londoners are actually comfortable with a Muslim mayor. But (even if the poll isn't under-stating the figure as some people are shy about expressing their view), this level of feeling is politically significant. The findings present a big problem for the two prominent London Muslim politicians who are hoping to follow Boris Johnson into City Hall: Labour's Sadiq Khan and Conservative MEP Syed Kamall.
This may surprise some who would point to London's diverse population, and its "one-man melting pot" Mayor. The fact that Sadiq Khan and Syed Kamall are major contenders in the race for City Hall, some say, shows how cosmopolitan the capital has become. Mr Khan and Mr Kamall are sons of immigrants, with their fathers coming from Pakistan and Guyana respectively to work as bus drivers in Britain. However, Londoners barely differ from their fellow Britons in how they think about immigration.
The 2015 British Election Study found that 34.7 per cent of the White Britons outside London surveyed said that immigration strongly undermined cultural life, while 34.4 per cent of White British Londoners said the same. The difference in attitude is negligible and well within the margin of error. It's worth looking at the fascinating analysis by Professor Eric Kaufmann of Birkbeck College of Ukip's performance among White British voters without qualifications, which found that "Londoners are actually more Ukip-friendly than average".
Muslims now make up around 12.4 per cent of London's population, which is nearly three times as much as the proportion they make up of the population (4.8 per cent) across the UK. Over a million Muslims live in London, making up 37.4 per cent of Britain's Muslim population. However, this does not seem to have tempered Londoners' attitude towards Muslims.
Londoners are actually more racially segregated than the rest of Britain, according to a report by the Social Integration Commission, despite socialising more with people of different ethnic groups. "Those interactions are proportionally less representative of the diversity of the area Londoners live in compared to the interactions of those outside London," it warned.
YouGov's polling adds weight to the truism that older people are more likely to be hardline towards immigration, with 49 per cent of those aged over 60 expressing unease about the idea of a Muslim Mayor. That presents an extra difficulty for practising Muslims Sadiq Khan and Syed Kamall, as older people are stereotypically more likely to vote than young people.
Both politicians have yet to be chosen as their party's City Hall candidate, so what does the poll mean in practice? Londoners are far more interested in Zac Goldsmith, with 79 per cent of those surveyed saying he'd be the best Conservative candidate, than they are with Mr Kamall (only 6 per cent).
Sadiq Khan is faring better in the polls, with YouGov putting him at 21 per cent as the best prospective Labour candidate, second only to Tessa Jowell (who rides high at 42 per cent). Khan's campaign is aware of this, hence its attempt to push the "#SadiqvZac" hashtag, but the polls suggest that, in a direct contest, he would lose 46-54 against Zac Goldsmith.
Mr Khan recently told the Guardian that London electing a Muslim Mayor would "say something about our confidence as a city", adding: "The idea that the mayor of London could be son of an immigrant, son of a bus driver, ethnic minority – and by the way, of Islamic faith – would speak volumes."
However, the one third of Londoners that feel uneasy about the very prospect could stop him - and Mr Kamall - from getting to City Hall. Londoners aren't necessarily as liberal as they are made out to be.
Ciekawe są też wyniki sondażu pod oryginalnym artykułem - 79% ludzi jest przeciw i nawet wcale za
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/london-mayor-election/mayor-of-london/11800426/Some-Londoners-dont-want-a-Muslim-Mayor.-Maybe-London-isnt-so-different-after-all.html
A very unrealistic man who thinks his ass is like wine - the older the better
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