London Mayor Sadiq Khan speaks to Green Party leader Zack Polanski in Urdu during Mayor’s Question Time, prompting reports that Khan “pokes fun” at Polanski. The exchange occurs after Polanski has used Urdu in a campaign video tied to his by-election bid.
According to outlets including the Evening Standard and The Independent, Khan answers Polanski’s question in Urdu, with Khan framing it as a response to Polanski’s proficiency in the language. Other reports, such as the Daily Mail and Belfast Telegraph, similarly describe the moment as a humorous retort connected to Polanski’s recent Urdu-language video.
While coverage agrees on the basic facts—Khan uses Urdu during the London Assembly session and Polanski previously appeared speaking Urdu in a campaign video—outlets differ mainly in tone. Some explicitly characterize the response as mockery, while others focus more on Khan’s use of the language as a direct exchange in the chamber.
Sources do not present additional details beyond the language exchange and the reference to Polanski’s campaign video for the Holborn and St Pancras by-election.
