Trump attacks London mayor in UN address as he claims Europe is being ‘invaded’

Donald Trump used an address to the United Nations to claim London wants to “go to sharia law” as he said Europe was being “invaded” by “illegal aliens”.

Speaking to the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, the US president renewed his feud with London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan, calling him a “terrible, terrible mayor”.

And he attacked UN assistance for asylum seekers, saying the organisation was “funding an assault on western countries and their borders”.

Mr Trump said: “Europe is in serious trouble. They have been invaded by a force of illegal aliens like nobody’s ever seen before.

“Illegal aliens are pouring into Europe and nobody’s doing anything to change it.”

He added: “I look at London, where you have a terrible mayor, terrible, terrible mayor, and it’s been changed, it’s been so changed.

“Now they want to go to sharia law. But you are in a different country, you can’t do that.”

A spokesperson for Sir Sadiq said: “We are not going to dignify his appalling and bigoted comments with a response.

“London is the greatest city in the world, safer than major US cities, and we’re delighted to welcome the record number of US citizens moving here.”

Labour MPs also rallied to Sir Sadiq’s defence. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said he was “not trying to impose sharia law on London” but was “a mayor who marches with Pride, who stands up for difference of background and opinion, who’s focused on improving our transport, our air, our streets, our safety, our choices and chances”.

Ealing Central and Acton MP Rupa Huq described Mr Trump’s comments as “blatant bare-faced lies”, while Rosena Allin-Khan, Sir Sadiq’s successor as MP for Tooting, called for the US ambassador to be summoned over the remarks.

Mr Trump has repeatedly attacked Sir Sadiq since 2015, when the Labour politician condemned the then presidential hopeful’s suggestion that Muslims should be banned from travelling to the US.

During last week’s state visit, the president said Sir Sadiq was “among the worst mayors in the world” and claimed he had asked that the mayor not attend events during the visit.

Sir Sadiq said he was “indifferent to President Trump” and had “more important things to worry about”.

Later in his speech, Mr Trump claimed the UK had “given up their powerful edge” by making North Sea oil “so highly taxed that no developer, no oil company can go there”.

He said: “They have tremendous oil left and, more importantly, they have tremendous oil that hasn’t even been found yet.

“And what a tremendous asset for the United Kingdom, and I hope the Prime Minister’s listening because I told it to him three days in a row – that’s all he heard.

“‘North Sea oil, North Sea’.”

Mr Trump also attacked the UK’s green energy policies, saying: “I want to stop seeing them ruining that beautiful Scottish and English countryside with windmills and massive solar panels that go seven miles by seven miles, taking away farmland.”