Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, suffers from PTSD but not really. Whatever it is he suffers from, though he calls it PTSD, was brought on by Donald Trump and the death threats he would receive after a mean tweet against him was posted by Trump. Because, of course it’s Trump’s fault. Never mind Khan received threats before Trump was president. He’s pointing a finger at Trump. And, you know which finger it is.

The far-left progressive considers his mental anguish to be PTSD but he doesn’t want to sound like a total jerk and have others make comparisons to real PTSD, like that which is suffered by members of the military and first responders. He’s a bureaucrat, the mayor of one of the world’s largest cities, and things like personal threats come with the territory in today’s world. The interesting thing is that he’s talking about the mental and emotional difficulty he is having as he serves in his capacity as mayor, yet he is running for re-election. Not only is the Labour mayor for London since 2016 seeking a third term next year, he hopes to serve six, count ’em, six terms. He wants the job but he just wants to whine about it when it gets difficult, apparently.

You’ve been suffering with PTSD? “Without a doubt. One of my best friends is a doctor and we talk about it. We play tennis and he gives me talking therapy.”

What did they relate the PTSD to: the terrorist attacks, death threats, the pandemic? “I think the phrase is cumulative.” Again, he caveats it. “By the way, I’m not comparing what I am going through to some of the stuff people go through – as a lawyer my clients with PTSD were asylum seekers and refugees. I would never give equivalence to what I am going through. Nor would I ever want people to feel sorry for me. I’m very privileged to do the job I do.” And another caveat – this time a different type. “By the way, if this means I’m a snowflake, so be it, right? Mental health is fragile if it’s not looked after. And I shouldn’t be afraid to talk about it.”

No. Mental health issues aren’t something to be ashamed to talk about but if a person’s mental health is in decline due to his or her job, it’s time to switch jobs. In this case, Khan wants to stay on the job and it looks like he’s just interested in maintaining power. Putting personal politics over mental health or personal health issues is not a winning formula for the politician or his constituents.

His feud with Trump began in 2015 and he’s still holding on to it. Trump derangement is a strong affliction to kick.

His feud with Trump started in 2015 when the then presidential candidate’s pledge to ban Muslims from the US was criticised as “outrageous” by the then London mayoral candidate. Khan said he hoped Trump “loses badly”. Fast forward to June 2017 and the attacks on Borough Market and London Bridge. Trump tweeted: “At least 7 dead and 48 wounded in terror attack and Mayor of London says there is ‘no reason to be alarmed!’” What Khan had actually said was that the public should not be alarmed by the increased police presence on the streets. Khan called on the government to cancel Trump’s state visit to the UK. Two weeks later, pedestrians outside Finsbury Park mosque were driven into in an Islamophobic attack, killing one person. “The terrorist was looking for me,” Khan says. “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.” Two years later, a man murdered 51 people at the Al Noor mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand. “The killer mentioned me as well. 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.”

He did this interview with The Guardian in a restaurant. On the way out he stopped to speak to the manager. He invoked Trump’s name in the conversation. You can’t make this kind of derangement up. The man hasn’t even been in office for three years.

As he gets up to leave, most of the restaurant empties. Meanwhile, formalities over, Khan has recovered his chirpiness. On the way out he stops for a chat with Ahmed, the restaurant manager. “We’re having an Eid celebration in Trafalgar Square on Saturday. You should come down. There’ll be thousands of us. We take a picture with everyone there.” He grins. “Then we send it to Trump.” And with that he’s off.

Londoners are not electing their best.