James Whale rages at Sadiq Khan over Queen statue rejection
Tory London Mayoral candidate Susan Hall called for a temporary political truce with her arch rival Sadiq Khan today, as she continued her long-running campaign to see the Queen properly memorialised in central London.
Ahead of the one-year anniversary of Her Majesty’s passing, Ms Hall once again reignited her campaign to get a memorial of the Queen permanently erected on the Trafalgar Square Fourth Plinth.
The cause has previously failed to garner support from Sadiq Khan, who in September 2022 ruled out using the fourth plinth for such a tribute, saying it wouldn’t be a ‘suitable location’.
Following backlash, Mr Khan U-turned and said it could be on the Fourth Plinth, but added it’s the Royal Family’s decision.
In March this year, London Assembly Tories tabled a motion calling for the fourth plinth memorial, only for Labour AMs to vote down the proposals.
READ MORE: POLL: Should a statue of Queen Elizabeth II be erected in Trafalgar Square?
Ms Hall called on Sadiq Khan to work with her towards the memorial (Image: PA)
Ms Hall now says it’s time to put party politics aside and move forward with the touching tribute.
She told the Express: “Her Late Majesty The Queen was and remains an inspiration to all of us.
“A permanent statue will show future generations how much she meant to us and help ensure her legacy lives on. The Fourth Plinth is a wonderful and prominent location and I would love for it to be made a tribute to our greatest monarch if the Royal Family so wishes.
“I would hope that Sadiq Khan and Labour would be willing to work on a cross-party basis to make this happen.”
Ms Hall has made it a campaign pledge to erect such a statue in the heart of Westminster if elected as London Mayor next year.
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Mr Khan has previously flip flopped over the proposal (Image: Getty)
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The Fourth Plinth is currently occupied by a statue of the contentious Baptist pastor John Chilembwe, who once conducted a sermon beneath the severed head of a Scottish plantation manager.
Next year the statue will be replaced with a sculpture of 850 trans people’s face casts, most of whom are sex workers. The statue boasts that the casts will be “infused with their hair and skin cells”.
Sadiq Khan’s office said: “The location of a statue of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is a decision for His Majesty the King and the Royal Family.
The Fourth Plinth currently displays rotating art exhibitions (Image: Getty)
“The Mayor stands ready to support the Royal Family in whatever their wishes are so that we can ensure we have a fitting memorial to our longest-serving monarch.
“This, of course, includes using the Fourth Plinth if that is the Royal Family’s preference.”
Politics will be largely dominated by memorials for the Queen on Friday, marking one year since she passed away.
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