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[Dedicated]

Let's be honest - the world of politics has witnessed better campaigns than the scrap between Zac Goldsmith and Sadiq Khan, played out in the shadow of the upcoming, and far more significant, referendum on Britain's membership of the EU.

However, while the City keeps an extremely close eye on events leading up to 23 June, it will also be wondering what Khan has in store. The new London mayor pledged to be ' the most pro-business' incumbent to date. Alongside this promise came a lot of language that, to be blunt, smacked of Labour-style managerialism; Khan talked of 'engagement with business' and his desire 'to form a true partnership with business'. He wants a 'skills taskforce' and said that he can create modern office space for start-ups.

Rather than expend too much time on such initiatives, the new mayor should focus on three big areas that require bold and sometimes unpopular decisions.

The first is housing. Khan promised that 80,000 new homes will be built per year, that cannot be achieved without building up or building out. City Hall needs to explain quickly how this target will be achieved and take on the inevitable opponents of any reforms.

The second is transport. People are exasperated by Westminster's inability to make a decision on airport expansion; we now have a mayor who favours Gatwick, a Government-commissioned report that heavily backs Heathrow and a Tory party that is divided among its top echelons. Khan must push Prime Minister David Cameron to confront this issue and not kick it any further into the long grass. Khan also needs to demonstrate how he will fund investment in London's transport infrastructure at the same time as freezing fares for 4 years.

The third is immigration. Across the UK, pro-immigration sentiment may be politically toxic, but many of our most promising sectors (such as London's tech industries) can only thrive with access to the best global talent. London needs a mayor to make that case.

Khan has won the popularity contest, hands down. Now he must show he can govern with equal success and is strong enough to make unpopular decisions. Does it really matter that he is Muslim?

[steki47]

On a related note, I am sensing a pattern:

http://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/may/11/susan-rice-us-national-security-agencies-too-white/

Too many White people endangers national security.

Do these sorts exchange notes?