Sadiq Khan, London Mayor candidate, slams overuse of the word ‘aspiration’ in leadership contest

Sadiq Khan, London mayoral hopeful, has said that the word “aspiration” has been used far too much in the leadership contest.

Khan, who was shadow London Minister and shadow Justice Secretary before he resigned from the cabinetto concentrate on his mayoral bid, has said that too many people in the party are looking back to New Labour and Tony Blair’s time in office with “rose-tinted glasses.”

Khan, told the Guardian:

“A word I think you’ll hear overused in the leadership contest is ‘aspiration’. It’s used in a pejorative way to suggest we didn’t understand what it meant. I understand what it means.

“It means your dad working all the overtime hours that London Transport will give you, aspiration means your mum, notwithstanding having eight children, works as a seamstress at home as well to make ends meet. Aspiration means, as a 24-year-old trainee solicitor, sleeping on a bunk bed in your mum and dad’s home to save for a deposit. So I get aspiration.”

The former Miliband ally has yet to endorse a candidate in the leadership race. When the Guardian asked if he thought any of the four potential candidates were strong enough to be leader, he said  “let’s wait and see” and said he “no horse in the race”.