Sadiq Khan claimed yesterday he was suffering from PTSD after receiving regular death threats, to the point where he now has 24-hour presidential-level security.

The Labour politician concluded he had the disorder after having “talking therapy” with a doctor he plays tennis with, discussing a difficult last few years and the “cumulative” effect it had on his mental health.

He added that the Covid pandemic had also taken its toll, claiming to have “lost my mojo” during lockdown.

“If this means I’m a snowflake, so be it, right?” Mr Khan told the Guardian. 

“Mental health is fragile if it’s not looked after. And I shouldn’t be afraid to talk about it.”

Mr Khan insisted, however, that he was not comparing his experience to the extreme levels of PTSD that refugees or people in similar situations to himself have experienced. 

“I would never give equivalence to what I am going through, nor would I ever want people to feel sorry for me,” he said.

“I’m very privileged to do the job I do.”

Since taking the keys to City Hall from Boris Johnson, a number of disasters and terror attacks have taken place on the mayor’s watch, including the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017.

The level of protection similar to that of King Charles

Much criticism and abuse has followed during his term in office – including from then-President Donald Trump on Twitter – to the point of receiving death threats, forcing him to increase his security detail.

Comparing the level of protection to that laid on for King Charles or Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Mr Khan revealed how simply going to the mosque or travelling by public transport is now a “nightmare”, and how even a trip to the cinema involves minders being sat three rows behind him.

Speaking about the attack at the Finsbury Park mosque in 2017, he said: “The terrorist was looking for me.

“He couldn’t find me so he decided to target Jeremy Corbyn and Muslims. Every time Trump says something horrible about me there’s a massive increase in hatred towards me on social media.

“Then there are people who follow Daesh (Islamic State) and al Qaida who think you can’t be a Muslim and a westerner, I get it from both sides in relation to the death threats.”

Mr Khan is running to be elected into his third term as London’s mayor and told The Guardian he ultimately hopes to serve six terms.

(Source: Daily Mail)

(Image: By East London Mosque, London, United Kingdom – Wednesday 22 November 2017, ELMT – Strongroom Inauguration & Dinner Reception. Officially opened by Rt Hon Sadiq Khan, The Mayor of London, via Flickr)