Sadiq Khan used his first act as Mayor of London to attend the UK's Holocaust Memorial Ceremony today - 24 hours after the last Labour mayor repeated controversial claims that Hitler was a Zionist.

The newly-elected mayor swore to be a leader for all faiths in the capital and was at the Holocaust Remembrance Ceremony in Barnet this afternoon alongside Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, who just last week attacked Jeremy Corbyn by saying Labour had a 'severe' problem with anti-Semitism.

Mr Khan's visit today is hugely symbolic and will be interpreted as another pointed criticism of Jeremy Corbyn's leadership.

Mr Corbyn was notably absent from Mr Khan's official swearing-in ceremony at Southwark Cathedral in South-East London yesterday amid claims that Mr Khan is keen to distance himself from the Labour leader.

Sadiq Khan used his first act as Mayor of London to attend the UK's Holocaust Memorial Ceremony in Barnet today - 24 hours after the last Labour mayor repeated controversial claims that Hitler was a Zionist

The Labour leader has been criticised over his response to the anti-Semitism scandal that has rocked the party over recent weeks.

His close ally and former Mayor of London Ken Livingstone caused more uproar yesterday by repeating his claim that Hitler had supported Zionism.

Mr Corbyn was forced to suspend Mr Livingstone but he has denied the Labour party has an anti-Semitism problem, despite a remarkable 19 people having been suspended by the party for making anti-Semitic remarks.

Last week's anti-Semitism row was blamed for Labour's poor performance in heavy Jewish areas, including in Bury, where the party lost two councillors.

Sadiq Khan (pictured right arriving at the Holocaust Memorial Ceremony in Barnet today alongside Lord Levy) met Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis today (left), who just last week attacked Jeremy Corbyn by saying Labour had a 'severe' problem with anti-Semitism

The newly-elected mayor swore to be a leader for all faiths in the capital and was at the Holocaust Remembrance Ceremony in Barnet this afternoon

Mr Khan was among the first to call for the Labour leader to suspend his close friend and former London mayor Ken Livingstone over his alleged anti-Semitism.

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell admitted the row damaged the party's electoral performance, saying Mr Livingstone's remarks had 'set us back, there's no doubt about that'.

Sadiq Khan (right) attended the Holocaust Remembrance Ceremony in Barnet this afternoon alongside Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis (left), who just last week attacked Jeremy Corbyn by saying Labour had a 'severe' problem with anti-Semitism

And Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale said the bitter internal infighting over anti-Semitism had 'unquestionably had an effect' on the party's catastrophic performance in Scotland, where it suffered its worst election in more than 100 years and was beaten to second place by the Tories.

The suspended Mr Livingstone again waded into the row yesterday, repeating the highly controversial claims about Hitler's links with German Jews.

'[For] a lot of people, it's a shock to discover there had been that relationship between a small section of the Jewish community in Germany and Adolf Hitler but it's historically true.'

But he dismissed claims that his comments had damaged Labour at the polls and blamed any decline in the vote on 'old Blairite MPs' for whipping up the row.

His latest mention of Hitler comes a week after he claimed the Nazi leader had supported Zionism 'before he went mad and ended up killing 6 million Jews' - remarks that led to days of negative headlines for Labour just days before nationwide elections.

Mr Khan's victory in the capital, which made him the first Muslim mayor of London and the first of any major European capital - was a slim glimmer of hope for Mr Corbyn after disastrous results in Scotland and English council elections on Thursday.

But any positives out of the triumph for Mr Corbyn were immediately overshadowed after Mr Khan launched a blistering attack on his leadership.

The new Mayor of London told Mr Corbyn to take note of how he had reached beyond the party's core base to win back the capital for Labour.

Last week's anti-Semitism row was blamed for Labour's poor performance in heavy Jewish areas, including in Bury, where the party lost two councillors. Sadiq Khan was among the first to call for Jeremy Corbyn to suspend his close friend and former London mayor Ken Livingstone over his alleged anti-Semitism

Sadiq Khan speaks with guests at Yom HaShoah, the Jewish Community's Holocaust Remembrance Day, at the Barnet Copthall Stadium this afternoon. He pledged to lead for all faiths after being sworn in as London's first Muslim mayor yesterday

Mr Khan, the son of an immigrant bus driver, accused the Labour leadership of 'divide and rule' tactics that would fail to win over the necessary Tory voters to win a General Election, adding: 'Labour has to be a big tent that appeals to everyone, not just its own activists'.

CORBYN ALLIES ACCUSE KHAN OF TREATING HIM LIKE A 'PARIAH' Allies of Jeremy Corbyn (pictured at the London Mayor's victory party on Friday night, where he stayed for just 15 minutes) last night accused newly elected London Mayor Sadiq Khan of treating him like a 'pariah' by avoiding appearing in public with him Allies of Jeremy Corbyn last night accused newly elected London Mayor Sadiq Khan of treating him like a 'pariah' by avoiding appearing in public with him. The Labour leader was conspicuous by his absence from Khan's official swearing-in ceremony at Southwark Cathedral in South-East London yesterday. To add insult to injury, Corbyn's predecessor as Labour leader, Ed Miliband, was there to see Mr Khan become Boris Johnson's successor. And the pair even missed each other at Khan's official victory party on Friday, with Corbyn arriving – and leaving – several hours before the London Mayor showed up. Labour sources claimed Mr Corbyn's office had made repeated attempts to arrange a joint photo call last week – but could not get through. 'Corbyn's team couldn't get Khan's office to pick up the phone,' said one insider. 'He clearly doesn't want anything to do with Jeremy.' The row broke as anti-Corbyn Labour MPs privately said that the coup against him was 'postponed not cancelled' after a raft of election results across the UK was deemed bad for Labour – but not dire enough to force him out now. One MP admitted: 'We're keeping our powder dry, but Corbyn can't lead us into a General Election.' After seeing his party beaten into a humiliating third place in Scotland behind the Tories and losing council seats in England on Thursday, Mr Corbyn was desperate to be seen with triumphant a Mr Khan. Mr Khan, the first Muslim mayor of a European capital, now has a huge personal mandate after his thumping victory over Tory candidate Zac Goldsmith. In a sign of his new international standing, he was yesterday congratulated by US Democrat presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton, who praised him as 'a champion of workers' rights and human rights'. Sources said the new mayor appeared determined not to have his moment of glory tarnished by association with Mr Corbyn. During his campaign, Mr Khan disowned Mr Corbyn's Left-wing style, such as his refusal to sing the National Anthem. A spokesman for the London mayor denied snubbing Mr Corbyn, saying: 'There was an open invitation to all London MPs to the cathedral.' Mr Khan himself said he could not explain why the Labour leader had failed to attend yesterday's ceremony, saying: 'I'm not sure what Jeremy's doing today.' Mr Corbyn's attempts to appear alongside Mr Khan included an appearance on Friday night at a celebration party at 10.50pm in a bar not far from City Hall. However, this was thwarted after the final result declaration was delayed and Mr Khan himself only showed up at his own victory bash at 1.15am. Despite the denial, Labour MPs privately said the mayor would be entirely right to carry on keeping his distance from Mr Corbyn. 'Sadiq knows he won the mayoral election in spite of Corbyn, not thanks to him,' said one. 'All the anti-Semitic nonsense around the Corbyn camp caused huge damage to our campaign. Sadiq will run London his way, not Corbyn's.' Advertisement

He easily beat Mr Goldsmith in the campaign to replace Boris Johnson as London Mayor - winning with a record number of votes.

After second preference votes had been counted, Mr Khan received 57 per cent of the vote to Mr Goldsmith's 43 per cent. The Labour mayor won a record 1,3million votes and also became the first directly elected Muslim mayor of any major European capital.

During the campaign Mr Khan attempted to distance himself from Mr Corbyn's policies and he was also among the first to call for the Labour leader to suspend his close friend and former London mayor Ken Livingstone over his alleged anti-Semitism.

Mr Corbyn failed to show up at Mr Khan's swearing-in ceremony at Southwark Cathedral in South-East London yesterday, opting to stay at home less than five miles away.

The Labour leader's allies accused the newly elected London Mayor of treating him like a 'pariah' by avoiding appearing in public with him.

To add insult to injury, Corbyn's predecessor as Labour leader, Ed Miliband, was there to see Mr Khan become Boris Johnson's successor.

And the pair even missed each other at Khan's official victory party on Friday, with Corbyn arriving – and leaving – several hours before the London Mayor showed up.

During his campaign, Mr Khan disowned Mr Corbyn's Left-wing style, such as his refusal to sing the National Anthem.

A spokesman for the London mayor denied snubbing Mr Corbyn, saying: 'There was an open invitation to all London MPs to the cathedral.'

Mr Khan himself said he could not explain why the Labour leader had failed to attend yesterday's ceremony, saying: 'I'm not sure what Jeremy's doing today.'

In a scathing assessment of Mr Corbyn's leadership since he took over in September, Mr Khan wrote: 'I learnt a great deal during the campaign – about myself, London and the importance of reaching out to all sections of society.

'But there are two lessons in particular: first, Labour only wins when we face outwards and focus on the issues that people care about; second, we will never be trusted to govern unless we reach out and engage with all voters – regardless of their background, where they live or where they work.

'Squabbles over internal structures might be important for some in the party, but it is clear they mean little or nothing to the huge majority of voters. As tempting as it might be, we must always resist focusing in on ourselves and ignoring what people really want.'

Deputy Labour leader Tom Watson dismissed the prospect of Mr Corbyn facing a challenge and pleaded for 'patience' after a 'mixed bag' of election results.

Writing in the Sunday Mirror he said a leadership challenge was 'about as likely as a snowstorm in the Sahara'.

But he acknowledged: 'The truth is Labour still has a mountain to climb if we are to return to Government in 2020.'

He said: 'If there is one quality Labour Party members will need as we seek to return to Downing Street it is patience.

'Jeremy Corbyn was elected leader of our party eight months ago with an overwhelming mandate to take the party in a new direction.

'But that won't happen overnight. Our share of the vote was higher than it was a year ago, when we suffered a painful election defeat.

'Of course it isn't enough. We need to do far more. We need to do better.

'I have been a member of the Labour Party for well over 30 years and I know that members are fair-minded people.

'That's why a leadership challenge is about as likely as a snowstorm in the Sahara.'

Mr Khan's victory has triggered a by-election as he announced he will stand down as MP for Tooting.

Labour's national executive will draw up a short list of candidates next week to fight a by-election in the seat held by the new mayor of London.

The NEC will meet on Wednesday following the resignation of Sadiq Khan, who beat his Tory rival Zac Goldsmith to succeed Boris Johnson in last week's mayoral poll.

The Press Association understands that Martin Smith, a national officer with the GMB, is seeking nomination.

The newly elected mayor said he will step down as MP for the south London seat to concentrate on his duties in City Hall.

Mr Khan has been MP for Tooting since 2005 and held the seat with a majority of under 3,000 in 2015.

CORBYN INFURIATES LABOUR MPS BY PLANNING A HOLIDAY JUST DAYS BEFORE JUNE'S EU REFERENDUM Jeremy Corbyn (pictured on a visit to Bristol yesterday to congratulate the new Labour mayor of the city, Marvin Rees) is planning to take nearly a week off work at the end of the month - just days before the EU vote Jeremy Corbyn faces an angry showdown with Labour MPs tomorrow after reports revealed he is planning to take a holiday overseas just days before June's EU referendum. Clashes were already certain to take place at the party's weekly meeting on Monday night after Mr Corbyn delivered the worst election performance of any opposition in 30 years last week. But following reports that he is due to take nearly a week off at the end of this month, Shadow Cabinet ministers could not hide their fury. According to the Sunday Times Mr Corbyn will take a break overseas following an official trip abroad, meaning he could be away from the UK for up to 10 days. He is expected to take advantage of the Parliamentary recess between May 26 and June 6, which coincides with the May bank holiday weekend. Shadow Scottish Secretary Ian Murray, still reeling from Labour's worst performance in Scotland since 1910 after they were beaten into third place by the Tories in Thursday's poll, told Mr Corbyn to reconsider any plans to take a holiday. 'Given Jeremy Corbyn 's significant mandate within the Labour membership and given it's going to be Labour members who are knocking on doors to make those arguments, we should be making sure we are pulling out all the stops to win that European Union referendum,' he told the BBC. 'We should be fighting with every single sinew to make sure the UK stays in the European Union, because that's the right thing to do.' Jeremy Corbyn only avoided facing an immediate leadership challenge because expectations were even worse and Labour's Marvin Rees (pictured with Mr Corbyn in Bristol yesterday) winning the Bristol mayoralty also helped stave off a coup And fellow Labour MP Neil Coyle said Mr Corbyn had his priorities wrong. 'Obviously his time would be much better spent campaigning to stay in the European Union and it is disappointing to hear that time off is taking priority over the UK's future,' he said. Mr Corbyn's latest plans for a break will take his tally of holidays since he became leader in September to four, having already enjoyed a spa break in Malta, a few days in the Scottish Highlands in October and an Easter break in Devon, where he was pictured having a lemon drizzle cake for breakfast. But Mr Corbyn's close friend and constituency neighbour Emily Thornberry defended his right to take a break. The Shadow Defence Secretary said: 'I think it's been pretty full on for Jeremy, hasn't it, since he was elected as leader. 'I do think that when Parliament is not sitting he should be allowed to have a few days off.' A spokesman for Mr Corbyn said: 'We don't discuss Jeremy's movements but he will undertake a significant number of public engagements with the Labour In campaign in the next few weeks.' Mr Corbyn is expected to face angry voices tomorrow night as Labour MPs confront him over the party's poor showing in English council elections and a disastrous showing in Scotland. Advertisement

Sadiq Khan accuses David Cameron of using the 'Donald Trump playbook' of race tactics in London mayoral election and also turns on his own leader Jeremy Corbyn

Sadiq Khan today accused David Cameron of using tactics 'straight out of the Donald Trump playbook' in the London mayoral race.

The defeated Tory candidate Zac Goldsmith repeatedly attacked Mr Khan for his alleged links with Muslim extremists, highlighting his previous record of sharing a stage with radical preachers and defending extremists in his former career as a human rights lawyer.

In his second day in his new job as London's first Muslim mayor, Mr Khan hit out at the 'nasty' and 'divisive' Tory tactics, which had the full backing of the Prime Minister.

Sadiq Khan (pictured on the Andrew Marr Show this morning) accused David Cameron of using tactics 'straight out of the Donald Trump playbook' in the London mayoral race

He accused the Conservative campaign of trying to divide the capital's ethnic communities against each other in the campaign for City Hall instead of focussing on policies.

But Mr Khan also launched a blistering attack on Jeremy Corbyn by telling him to take note of how he had won back London for Labour.

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The new mayor, the son of an immigrant bus driver, accused the Labour leadership of 'divide and rule' tactics that would fail to win over the necessary Tory voters to win a General Election, adding: 'Labour has to be a big tent that appeals to everyone, not just its own activists'.

He easily beat Mr Goldsmith in the campaign to replace Boris Johnson as London Mayor - winning with a record number of votes.

After second preference votes had been counted, Mr Khan received 57 per cent of the vote to Mr Goldsmith's 43 per cent. The Labour mayor won a record 1,3million votes and also became the first directly elected Muslim mayor of any major European capital.

Looking back at his bitter campaign against Mr Goldsmith, Mr Khan expressed anger at that he was forced to defend himself against allegations of links to Muslim extremists.

The defeated Tory candidate Zac Goldsmith (pictured centre with Boris Johnson (left) and David Cameron (right) repeatedly attacked Mr Khan for his alleged links with Muslim extremists, highlighting his previous record of sharing a stage with radical preachers and defending extremists in his former career as a human rights lawyer

Sadiq Khan compared the Tory campaign tactics in the London mayoral election to those used by Donald Trump, who has attacked Mexican immigrants and pledged to ban Muslims from entering the United States until US authorities can 'find out what's going on'. He also claimed parts of London were 'so radicalised' that police were 'afraid for their own lives'

He said the Conservative's campaign had distracted attention from debating London's housing policy, the transport network and the NHS.

And he compared the Tory campaign tactics to those used by Donald Trump, who has attacked Mexican immigrants and pledged to ban Muslims from entering the United States until the country's authorities can 'find out what's going on'.

Mr Trump, who has secured the Republican nomination in the presidential race, has also claimed parts of London were 'so radicalised' that police were 'afraid for their own lives'.

'But David Cameron and Zac Goldsmith chose to set out to divide London's communities in an attempt to win votes in some areas and suppress voters in other parts of the city,' he wrote in today's Observer newspaper.

'They used fear and innuendo to try to turn different ethnic and religious groups against each other – something straight out of the Donald Trump playbook. Londoners deserved better and I hope it's something the Conservative party will never try to repeat.'

Chuka Umunna was among a host of Labour MPs to highlight Sadiq Khan's appeal for the Labour leadership to appeal beyond the party's core base and target a 'big tent'

Sadiq Khan also launched a blistering attack on Jeremy Corbyn (pictured leaving his home on Friday) by telling him to take note of how he had won back London for Labour

Last night Mr Goldsmith's family hit back last night over claims that his 'racist' campaign against Mr Khan had contributed to his defeat in the London Mayoral election.

He has received a barrage of criticism for highlighting his rival's alleged links to extremists.

Even his sister Jemima said the tactic 'did not reflect who I know him to be'.

But his mother, Lady Annabel, shot back at the 'unfair' criticism. 'Zac is the least racist person I know,' she said.

'I'm very sad for him... with a family man like Zac, who's mad about his children and likes to be with them the whole time, I think being mayor would have been a difficult juggle for him, but he would have made a very good one.

'I think all these things that have been said about him are very unfair.'

Sadiq Khan (left) sits alongside his wife Saadiya during his swearing-in ceremony at Southwark Cathedral yesterday

Sadiq Khan (left) chose to sign in as London Mayor at Southwark Cathedral, where former Labour leader Ed Miliband (pictured right with Labour MP Karen Buck) was present in the audience. Mr Khan was Mr Miliband's campaign manager for his successful leadership bid in 2010

Mr Khan's victory was immediately overshadowed by fresh infighting in Labour, with Mr Corbyn's allies accusing the newly elected London Mayor of treating him like a 'pariah' by avoiding appearing in public with him.

The Labour leader was conspicuous by his absence from Khan's official swearing-in ceremony at Southwark Cathedral in South-East London yesterday.

ZAC GOLDSMITH'S FAMILY HITS BACK FOLLOWING CLAIMS OF RACIST CAMPAIGN Zac Goldsmith's mother Lady Annabel (pictured), said he was the 'least racist' person she knew Zac Goldsmith's family hit back last night over claims that his 'racist' campaign against Sadiq Khan had contributed to his defeat in the London Mayoral election. Tory Mr Goldsmith, who lost to Labour's Mr Khan by a margin of nearly 14 points, has received a barrage of criticism for highlighting his rival's alleged links to extremists. Even his sister Jemima said the tactic 'did not reflect who I know him to be'. But his mother, Lady Annabel, shot back at the 'unfair' criticism. 'Zac is the least racist person I know,' she said. 'I'm very sad for him... with a family man like Zac, who's mad about his children and likes to be with them the whole time, I think being mayor would have been a difficult juggle for him, but he would have made a very good one. 'I think all these things that have been said about him are very unfair.' Lady Annabel, 81, told The Mail on Sunday that her son was close to Jemima's children by the Pakistan cricketer Imran Khan, adding: 'How can Zac be racist when he has two beloved nephews he adores, Jemima's boys?' Zac was also defended by his financier brother, Ben, who said: 'I am proud of my brother. He is the most decent, thoughtful, visionary man I know. It is because of his influence that I have grown up an environmentalist. Advertisement

To add insult to injury, Corbyn's predecessor as Labour leader, Ed Miliband, was there to see Mr Khan become Boris Johnson's successor.

And the pair even missed each other at Khan's official victory party on Friday, with Corbyn arriving – and leaving – several hours before the London Mayor showed up.

During his campaign, Mr Khan disowned Mr Corbyn's Left-wing style, such as his refusal to sing the National Anthem.

A spokesman for the London mayor denied snubbing Mr Corbyn, saying: 'There was an open invitation to all London MPs to the cathedral.'

Mr Khan himself said he could not explain why the Labour leader had failed to attend yesterday's ceremony, saying: 'I'm not sure what Jeremy's doing today.'

In a scathing assessment of Mr Corbyn's leadership since he took over in September, Mr Khan wrote: 'I learnt a great deal during the campaign – about myself, London and the importance of reaching out to all sections of society.

'But there are two lessons in particular: first, Labour only wins when we face outwards and focus on the issues that people care about; second, we will never be trusted to govern unless we reach out and engage with all voters – regardless of their background, where they live or where they work.

'Squabbles over internal structures might be important for some in the party, but it is clear they mean little or nothing to the huge majority of voters. As tempting as it might be, we must always resist focusing in on ourselves and ignoring what people really want.'

Deputy Labour leader Tom Watson dismissed the prospect of Mr Corbyn facing a challenge and pleaded for 'patience' after a 'mixed bag' of election results.

Writing in the Sunday Mirror he said a leadership challenge was 'about as likely as a snowstorm in the Sahara'.

But he acknowledged: 'The truth is Labour still has a mountain to climb if we are to return to Government in 2020.'

He said: 'If there is one quality Labour Party members will need as we seek to return to Downing Street it is patience.

'Jeremy Corbyn was elected leader of our party eight months ago with an overwhelming mandate to take the party in a new direction.

'But that won't happen overnight. Our share of the vote was higher than it was a year ago, when we suffered a painful election defeat.

'Of course it isn't enough. We need to do far more. We need to do better.

'I have been a member of the Labour Party for well over 30 years and I know that members are fair-minded people.

'That's why a leadership challenge is about as likely as a snowstorm in the Sahara.'

Mr Khan's victory has triggered a by-election as he announced he will stand down as MP for Tooting.

Labour's national executive will draw up a short list of candidates next week to fight a by-election in the seat held by the new mayor of London.

The NEC will meet on Wednesday following the resignation of Sadiq Khan, who beat his Tory rival Zac Goldsmith to succeed Boris Johnson in last week's mayoral poll.

The Press Association understands that Martin Smith, a national officer with the GMB, is seeking nomination.

The newly elected mayor said he will step down as MP for the south London seat to concentrate on his duties in City Hall.