Feature
Mayor silenced as
industry hits back
EN Editor Saul Leese goes back to the Mayor following his attack on
DSEI and discovers it’s all quiet on the political front
Photo: Hollie Adams/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
30 — October
L
ondon Mayor Sadiq Khan has
‘nothing further’ to add following
his initial outburst calling for Defence
& Security Equipment International
(DSEI) to leave London.
In September, the politician,
motivated by complaints from
protestors outside DSEI, wrote to the
organiser calling for an end to the
event in London and that they cover
the additional costs for policing the
event.
Mayor Khan, now appears keen
to ‘draw a line’ under his outburst,
following a balanced reply by DSEI
event director Grant Burgham.
Burgham, whose event increased
visitor numbers by three per cent,
despite protestors outside, told Mayor
Khan: “I would also wish to stress that
we fully respect the right to lawful
protest, and each year we provide
safe areas for protests to take place at
DSEI within the ExCeL site. The costs
of policing of those protest activities
and events organised by third parties
in public and other spaces near the
ExCeL campus both during and in
the week preceding DSEI are the
responsibility of the Metropolitan
Police, as would be the case with any
other public protest.
“The Mayor told EN that he has
‘nothing further’ to say in response
to DSEI’s letter or whether or not
his view has changed since receiving
comprehensive information about the
event from its organisers.
In addition, the Mayor’s silence
supports a widespread industry view
that his protestations were merely
‘political rhetoric’ and he has since
‘eaten his words’, or had his wrists
slapped by higher powers or both.
One industry stalwart commented:
“This could happen to any of us.
There’s a likelihood of protestors at
other events in controversial sectors
such as fashion, oil and gas, plus
farming so the Mayor should be more