Sadiq Khan defends ‘night tsar’ Amy Lamé after ‘offensive tweets’ claim

Sadiq Khan has defended appointing Amy Lamé as London’s “night tsar” following claims that she has a “gratuitously offensive” online presence.

The mayor was asked whether he found tweets which appeared to bemoan the Queen’s long life and referred to “Tory scum” as “funny” at Mayor’s Questions.

Mr Khan replied that he did not “agree with or condone” the tweets but thought she was “the best person for the job”.

Ms Lamé, a writer and broadcaster, was announced in the role on 4 November.

In the job, she will work with police, businesses and the public to boost the night-time entertainment scene in the capital.

Mr Khan was quizzed about the appointment by Conservative Gareth Bacon who read out tweets which included obscenities about George Osborne and accusing David Cameron of using his “dead son as a pawn” during a discussion about the NHS.

Mr Bacon questioned whether Ms Lamé was an appropriate choice for working with Conservative-backed boroughs.

The mayor replied that the process to appoint Ms Lamé was “open, fair and transparent” with 187 candidates having applied for the role.

“I think Amy will be a fantastic tsar”, he said, adding that he had “no doubt she will have great relationships with everyone”.

When asked whether it was appropriate that her previous work was paid through a limited company, Mr Khan said it “was standard practice for freelance workers” and “there is no secret about that”.

“So the mayor of London thinks that it’s appropriate to have a senior adviser who is grossly offensive online and avoids paying tax – that’s very interesting”, Mr Bacon said.