Big Apple's mayor will leave a sour taste... like Khan

NEW Yorkers have elected Zohran Mamdani as their mayor - and I can't be alone in feeling an acute sense of deja vu.

- Esther Krakue

Electors in the Big Apple may believe they've chosen a fresh, progressive force with new answers.

But before they celebrate, they should take a long, hard look across the pond at London. After nine years of Sadiq Khan, our capital illustrates what happens when moralistic politics crashes into the hard realities of governing a global city.

Theres a recognisable pattern to this new style of politician. Like Khan, Mamdani speaks fluent virtue. They're both very good at condemning inequality and injustice, and harping on about being on the side of the forgotten and dispossessed. And I understand why this works.

The cost of living is suffocating ordinary people and making everyday life feel unmanageable, here as there. New York is one of the most expensive cities in the world: people on six-figure salaries can barely cover rent and groceries. Crime is rising. For years, the political establishment has prioritised the asset class over people trying to build a life.

EVEN politicians with “proper experience” and stellar CVs have delivered very little for the average voter. Why wouldn't people want to take a chance on someone different?