Sadiq Khan pokes fun at Greens’ Polanksi with Urdu answer at London Assembly

Cite

APA MLA Chicago

Lynch, D. (2026, September 17). Sadiq Khan pokes fun at Greens’ Polanksi with Urdu answer at London Assembly. Evening Standard. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/zack-polanski-sadiq-khan-greens-london-assembly-keir-starmer-b1297360.html

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

Evening Standard · collected 2026-09-17 · by David Lynch

Quick Summary

Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, responded to a question from Zack Polanski, leader of the Green Party and candidate for MP of Holborn and St Pancras, in Urdu during a session at the London Assembly. This response was a playful reference to Polanksi’s recent campaign video where he used Urdu to appeal to voters in his constituency. Khan's answer, translated by his office, included a friendly greeting and an invitation to meet in person, highlighting the cultural exchange that occurred during the political event.

Written by AI on 2026-09-17, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, mocked Zack Polanski, a Green Party leader running for MP in Holborn and St Pancras, by responding to him in Urdu during the London Assembly's Mayor's Question Time on Thursday. This came after Polanski released a campaign video addressing voters in Urdu earlier that week. Khan joked about his proficiency with the language, saying he feared Polanski might ask questions in Urdu. The exchange was seen as a lighthearted response to criticism from some MPs who argued political videos should be conducted "in the language of public life." Despite the criticism, Khan's Urdu reply received laughter from fellow assembly members and praise for his pronunciation skills.

Written for “Sadiq Khan Mocks Campaign Video” on 2026-11-02, grounded in this article and the 2 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Sadiq Khan Mocks Campaign Video

Politics · 3 article(s) covering the same event. See how they differ ↓

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 11% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.

'I thought as you're so fluent!' Sadiq Khan mocks Zack Polanski by answering him in Urdu after Green leader released by-election campaign video in South Asian language Same event

Daily Mail

⚖️ Leans right Hedges 2 of 27 claims Outlet record 69/100

Sadiq Khan pokes fun at Zack Polanski's by-election campaign video by speaking to him in Urdu Same event

Evening Standard

Hedges 1 of 12 claims Outlet record 64/100

Sadiq Khan v James Cleverly: Tory's Ulez attack 'is poison to key voters' in London Mayor race Different event

Evening Standard

Hedges 3 of 15 claims Outlet record 64/100

“The articles describe different interactions involving Sadiq Khan - one about Ulez and costs for drivers, and another where he responds to Zack Polanski in Urdu.”

What does Sadiq Khan's peerage mean for his future as London Mayor? Different event

Evening Standard

Hedges 3 of 19 claims Outlet record 64/100

“The articles describe different events involving Sadiq Khan: one about his potential peerage and future as London Mayor, and another about him responding to a question in Urdu at the London Assembly.”

Greens leader Zack Polanski releases campaign video in Urdu to target Pakistani voters as he takes on Labour for Keir Starmer's former Commons seat Different event

Daily Mail

Hedges 2 of 30 claims Outlet record 69/100

“While both articles discuss Zack Polanski's campaign video in Urdu, Article A focuses on the release of the video itself, while Article B reports on Sadiq Khan's reaction to it at a different event.”

Zack Polanski suffers blow as George Galloway stands in Holborn by-election sparking furious row Different event

Evening Standard

Hedges 0 of 8 claims Outlet record 64/100

“The articles describe different interactions involving Zack Polanski: one about a row within a political party due to Galloway's candidacy and another about Sadiq Khan responding to Polanski in Urdu at the London Assembly.”

Greens defend Zack Polanski's by-election campaign video spoken in Urdu Different event

Evening Standard

Hedges 1 of 13 claims Outlet record 64/100

“While both articles discuss Zack Polanski's use of Urdu in his campaign and its aftermath, they describe different occurrences: Article A focuses on the backlash against Polanski's video, while Article B reports on Sadiq Khan responding to Polanski in Urdu at a London Assembly meeting.”

How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted

sentences that state something as happening or true

Uncertain

11%

1 of 9 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")

Leaning

not political

takes no side on a contested political question

Publisher signals

64/100

Evening Standard's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.

Outlets on this story

Politics

Same framing elsewhere

articles that frame the event the way this one does

Analyzed 2026-09-17 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability

Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

Evening Standard · 8215 article(s) · 73 correction(s) detected

Running correction rate · 73 correction(s)

2026-11-02

Tottenham injury update: Lucas Bergvall, Mykhailo Mudryk and Savio latest news and return dates

2026-11-02

Arsenal injury update: Eberechi Eze, Bukayo Saka, William Saliba latest news and return dates

2026-11-02

Manchester United injury update: Amad Diallo, Marcus Rashford, Luke Shaw latest news and return dates

2026-11-02

Liverpool injury update: Jeremie Frimpong, Hugo Ekitike, Giovanni Leoni latest news and return dates

2026-11-02

Chelsea injury update: Joao Pedro, Jordan Henderson, Emi Martinez latest news and return dates

2026-11-01

Manchester United injury update: Amad Diallo, Marcus Rashford, Luke Shaw latest news and return dates

2026-11-01

Liverpool injury update: Dominik Szoboszlai, Victor Munoz, Jeremie Frimpong latest news and return dates

2026-10-31

Chelsea injury update: Joao Pedro, Emi Martinez, Reece James latest news and return dates

2026-10-31

Manchester United injury update: Benjamin Sesko, Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo latest news and return dates

2026-10-30

Arsenal injury update: Riccardo Calafiori, Declan Rice, Noni Madueke latest news and return dates

2026-10-30

Manchester United injury update: Kobbie Mainoo, Marcus Rashford, Luke Shaw latest news and return dates

2026-10-28

Arsenal injury update: Declan Rice, Riccardo Calafiori, Noni Madueke latest news and return dates

2026-10-26

Chelsea injury update: Joao Pedro, Emi Martinez and Pep Chavarria latest news and return dates

2026-10-26

Arsenal injury update: Riccardo Calafiori, Bukayo Saka, Christos Tzolis latest news and return dates

2026-10-26

Tottenham injury update: James Maddison, Destiny Udogie and Savio latest news and return dates

2026-10-26

Manchester United injury update: Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo, Luke Shaw latest news and return dates

2026-10-26

Liverpool injury update: Florian Wirtz, Dominik Szoboszlai, Victor Munoz latest news and return dates

2026-10-22

Manchester United injury update: Marcus Rashford, Lisandro Martinez, Kobbie Mainoo latest news and return dates

2026-10-22

Arsenal injury update: Bukayo Saka, Piero Hincapie, Christos Tzolis latest news and return dates

2026-10-22

Chelsea injury update: Emi Martinez, Pep Chavarria, Reece James latest news and return dates

2026-10-22

Tottenham injury update: Omar Marmoush, Destiny Udogie, Pedro Porro latest news and return dates

2026-10-21

Manchester City injury update: Antoine Semenyo, Mathues Nunes and Nico O'Reilly latest news and return dates

2026-10-20

Tottenham injury update: Omar Marmoush, Destiny Udogie, Pedro Porro latest news and return dates

2026-10-19

Liverpool injury update: Dominik Szoboszlai, Jeremie Frimpong, Hugo Ekitike latest news and return dates

2026-10-19

Chelsea injury update: Emi Martinez, Pep Chavarria, Malo Gusto latest news and return dates

2026-10-19

Manchester United injury update: Lisandro Martinez, Kobbie Mainoo, Benjamin Sesko latest news and return dates

2026-10-19

Manchester City injury update: Erling Haaland, Antoine Semenyo and Nico O'Reilly latest news and return dates

2026-10-16

Real Madrid call for La Liga president to resign after Joseph Goebbels comparison

2026-10-14

UK economy predicted to decline ahead of Budget

2026-10-14

Arsenal injury update: Piero Hincapie, Christos Tzolis, Martin Zubimendi latest news and return dates

2026-10-14

Tottenham injury update: Dejan Kulusevski, Pedro Porro, Xavi Simons latest news and return dates

2026-10-14

Chelsea injury update: Reece James, Emmanuel Emegha, Jamie Gittens latest news and return dates

2026-10-12

Manchester United injury update: Benjamin Sesko, Patrick Dorgu, Noussair Mazraoui latest news and return dates

2026-10-12

Tottenham injury update: Pedro Porro, Xavi Simons and Dejan Kulusevski latest news and return dates

2026-10-12

Chelsea injury update: Reece James, Jamie Gittens, Emmanuel Emegha latest news and potential return dates

2026-10-12

Liverpool injury update: Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo latest news and return dates

2026-10-11

UK economy set to contract after strong start to summer, say experts

2026-10-09

Fact check: Free bus travel scheme and video of women queuing

2026-10-08

Tottenham injury update: Latest return dates before Manchester United after new double scare

2026-10-08

Manchester City injury update: Erling Haaland, Nico O'Reilly and Antoine Semenyo latest news and return dates

2026-10-08

Manchester United injury update: Kobbie Mainoo, Marcus Rashford, Benjamin Sesko latest news and return dates

2026-10-08

Arsenal injury update: Ezri Konsa, Christos Tzolis, Kai Havertz latest news and return dates (cloned)

2026-10-08

Chelsea injury update: Cole Palmer, Moises Caicedo, Joao Pedro latest news and return dates

2026-10-08

Liverpool injury update: Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo, Jeremy Jacquet latest news and return dates

2026-10-06

Arsenal injury update: Ezri Konsa, Christos Tzolis, Kai Havertz latest news and return dates

2026-10-06

Chelsea injury update: Moises Caicedo, Joao Pedro, Cole Palmer latest news and return dates

2026-10-05

Liverpool injury update: Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo, Hugo Ekitike latest news and return dates

2026-10-05

Manchester United injury update: Marcus Rashford, Benjamin Sesko, Kobbie Mainoo latest news and return dates

2026-10-05

Tottenham injury update: Micky van de Ven, Jan Paul van Hecke, Pedro Porro latest news and return dates

2026-10-05

Arsenal injury update: Christos Tzolis, Kai Havertz, Declan Rice latest news and return dates

2026-10-05

Chelsea injury update: Joao Pedro, Cole Palmer, Moises Caicedo latest news and return dates

2026-10-02

Arsenal injury update: Christos Tzolis, Declan Rice, Kai Havertz latest news and return dates

2026-10-01

Manchester United injury update: Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo latest news and return dates

2026-09-28

Arsenal injury update: Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice, Kai Havertz latest news and return dates

2026-09-28

Arsenal injury update: Kai Havertz, Declan Rice and Piero Hincapie latest news and return dates

2026-09-28

Manchester United injury update: Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo latest news and return dates

2026-09-28

Liverpool injury update: Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo and Hugo Ekitike latest news and return dates

2026-09-27

Chelsea injury update: Cole Palmer, Joao Pedro, Reece James latest news and return dates

2026-09-24

Arsenal injury update: Ben White, Cristhian Mosquera, William Saliba latest news and return dates

2026-09-24

Chelsea injury update: Joao Pedro, Cole Palmer, Reece James latest news and return dates

2026-09-21

Chelsea injury update: Joao Pedro, Reece James, Moises Caicedo latest news and return dates

2026-09-21

Arsenal injury update: Ben White, Cristhian Mosquera and William Saliba latest news and return dates

2026-09-21

Tottenham injury update: Pedro Porro, Dejan Kulusevski and Mykhailo Mudryk latest news and return dates

2026-09-21

Manchester United injury update: Benjamin Sesko, Carlos Baleba, Amad Diallo latest news and return dates

2026-09-21

Liverpool injury update: Hugo Ekitike, Conor Bradley, Federico Chiesa latest news and return dates

2026-09-17

Tottenham injury update: Sandro Tonali, Pedro Porro, Dejan Kulusevski latest news and return dates

2026-09-17

Liverpool injury update: Hugo Ekitike, Federico Chiesa and Giovanni Leoni latest news and return dates

2026-09-17

Man Utd injury update: Luke Shaw, Amad Diallo, Carlos Baleba latest news and return dates

2026-09-17

Arsenal injury update: Jurrien Timber, Ben White, Cristhian Mosquera latest news and potential return dates

2026-09-17

Chelsea injury update: Joao Pedro, Moises Caicedo and Marco Palestra latest news and return dates

2026-09-16

Chelsea injury update: Joao Pedro, Reece James, Moises Caicedo latest news and return dates

2026-09-11

Liverpool injury update: Bradley Barcola, Cody Gakpo, Milos Kerkez latest news and return dates

2026-09-10

Chelsea injury update: Levi Colwill, Moises Caicedo and Marco Palestra latest updates and return dates

Who wrote this

David Lynch

61 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction

🔮 Asked by ITV if he would describe the Budget as radical, Mr Burnham suggested he did not.

2026-10-30 · assertive framing · Burnham acknowledges Budget ambitions constrained by global turmoil

🔮 Asked by ITV if he would describe the Budget as radical, Mr Burnham suggested he did not.

2026-10-30 · assertive framing · Burnham acknowledges Budget ambitions constrained by global turmoil

🔮 John Healey was repeatedly pressed about the cost of welfare by broadcasters, after the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) warned sickness and disability benefits could cost £100 billion a year before the end of the decade.

2026-10-29 · assertive framing · Government working flat out to reduce welfare bill, PM says after cost warnings

🔮 He told a post-Budget press conference that he wanted to “avoid conflict” in the chamber, after claiming he had been involved in an altercation with another MP at the state opening of Parliament on May 13.

2026-10-29 · assertive framing · Lib Dem Caroline Voaden ‘shocked and bloody angry’ at Nigel Farage altercation

2026-10-29 · assertive framing · Government working flat out to reduce welfare bill, PM says after cost warnings

2026-10-29 · mixed framing · Government working flat out to reduce welfare bill, PM says after cost warnings

2026-10-29 · assertive framing · Lib Dems accuse Farage of ‘shoving’ MP, after Reform leader spoke of altercation

🔮 John Healey will deliver his first Budget as Chancellor on October 28 against the backdrop of a difficult domestic economic situation, made worse due to international market turmoil caused by the Iran war.

2026-10-23 · mixed framing · The Budget: What will be in it? What might be in it? What can be ruled out?

🔮 Despite the apparent willingness to negotiate, Russia has continued to launch missile strikes at Kyiv.

2026-10-22 · assertive framing · UK rejects Trump negotiator’s description of Vladimir Putin as ‘humanitarian’

Also by David Lynch

Burnham acknowledges Budget ambitions constrained by global turmoil

2026-10-30 · Evening Standard

Burnham acknowledges Budget ambitions constrained by global turmoil

2026-10-30 · Evening Standard

Government working flat out to reduce welfare bill, PM says after cost warnings

2026-10-29 · Evening Standard

Lib Dem Caroline Voaden ‘shocked and bloody angry’ at Nigel Farage altercation

2026-10-29 · Evening Standard

Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

All 61 articles by David Lynch →

Topics

Green Party Holborn Labour London St Pancras

Subjects

Green Party ORG · 3× Holborn GPE · 2× Khan PERSON · 2× Labour ORG · 2× Polanski PERSON · 2× St Pancras GPE · 2× London GPE · 1× Pakistan GPE · 1× Sadiq Khan PERSON · 1× Zack Polanski PERSON · 1×

Narrative

Mr Polanski spoke Urdu, the national language of Pakistan, in a video as part of his campaign to be the next MP for Holborn and St Pancras, the constituency where ex-prime minister Sir Keir Starmer stood down.

framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-17

🔮 Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has poked fun at Zack Polanski by responding to a question from him in Urdu, a language the Green Party leader recently used in a campaign video for his bid to become an MP.

2026-09-17 · Evening Standard

Sadiq Khan pokes fun at Greens’ Polanksi with Urdu answer at London Assembly · assertive framing

Claims (9 extracted, 1 hedged)

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has poked fun at Zack Polanski by responding to a question from him in Urdu, a language the Green Party leader recently used in a campaign video for his bid to become an MP. asserted

leader → poke → bid

Starmer → speak → Holborn

The Green Party leader is standing against a field of 14 other candidates, including Labour’s Sagal Abdi-Wali, the leader of Camden Council. asserted

leader → stand → Council

Making his first appearance at Mayor’s Question Time in the London Assembly since he was confirmed at the Green candidate in the by-election, Mr Polanski asked Lord Khan a question about data centres. asserted

Polanski → make → centres

The Labour mayor then replied in Urdu in a nod to the Green Party campaign video. asserted

mayor → reply → video

According to a translation, provided by Lord Khan’s office, he said: “Peace be upon you. uncertain

Peace → accord → you

I was worried that you would ask the question in Urdu, but you asked your question in English. asserted

you → worry → English

“I’ll be spending time in Holborn and St Pancras this week and I’m going to be there. asserted

I → spend → Holborn

Maybe we will meet there.” asserted

we → meet → ?

💬Give feedback

🕘History 🎫Support

Terms · Privacy · beta v2.0.0

Articles to 2 Nov 2026