The London Assembly member believes the signage, which was installed in 2022, is “unacceptable”
Sadiq Khan’s office has issued a stark response to Susan Hall’s criticism of a Bengali sign at Whitechapel station. The Conservative leader in the London Assembly was tweeting in response to a sign at the entrance to Whitechapel station written in Bengali.
Whitechapel has a large Bengali contingent amid its population. The station also has an English sign marking it out.
Ms Hall wrote: “Unacceptable – This is England, we speak English. Those that don’t and live here must learn the language and dare I say ‘integrate’.”
This was in reaction to a cropped photo taken outside the station. To the right, but unseen, is the same sign in English.
When approached for comment, a spokesperson for the Mayor of London said Mr Khan takes pride in the city’s multiculturalism. A statement reads: “London’s diversity is its greatest strength.
“The Mayor is proud of all of the different cultures that make the capital the best city in the world and we will continue to celebrate them.”
Tower Hamlets Council installed the dual-language signs outside and throughout Whitechapel station in March 2022 to recognise the contribution Bangladeshi Londoners have made in shaping the community in the borough. The scheme was funded entirely by the authority.
However, non-English signs on the transport network are not a new thing. Bilingual information was installed in Southall by a train operating company in the nineties due to the large Punjabi community in the area.
Network Rail would later refresh these as part of the Crossrail project in 2021. Ms Hall’s social media post has now been seen over 2.4m times, provoking debate from all sides in the comments..
Tower Hamlets is home to largest Bangladeshi population in England and Wales, with 34.6% of the population identifying as such in a 2024 census. Nearly 40% of people surveyed also identified as Muslim, again the largest in England and Wales.
Tower Hamlets Council and Susan Hall have been approached for comment.
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