To my Green Party friends: In the London Mayoral election your second preference counts.

As a supporter of the Green Party and Sian Berry I will obviously be voting for Sian as my first preference on Thursday but the question of second preference has become incredibly important in the outcome of this election.

I have publicly condemned New Labour for decades but I am voting Sadiq Khan as my second preference and I am asking my fellow Greens to do the same.

The reason for this seeming turnaround is simple: we can not allow Zac Goldsmith’s campaign that has played with race and bigotry to win.

Goldsmith’s campaigned has smeared Khan as linked with Muslim extremists and in doing so has not only pissed in the waters of public debate but has stoked fears and bigotry of the Muslim community.

Goldsmith’s article in the Mail on Sunday , yet again pointing the finger and shouting friend of the jihadist, was accompanied by a picture of the blown up bus from the 7/7 bombings as if claiming Khan was somehow in league with terrorists!

In Parliament Cameron claimed Khan to be linked to an Islamic State supporter Mr Gani, the fact that Gani turned out to be a Tory supporter shows Tory desperation but does not alter the focus of the race based smear campaign.

And not forgetting Goldsmith’s leaflets cak handedly targeting the Indian community claiming Khan was against them.

Time and time again Goldsmith dabbles with race and violence to paint Khan as ‘not like us’ , playing on prejudices about Muslims and fears of terrorism.

London is the most diverse city in the UK and if Goldsmith wins he will have won on a racist campaign.

We can not allow that to happen.

If the Green Party does not stand for social justice alongside the environment then it stands for nothing.

So I am asking friends and comrades to put Khan as their 2nd Preference.

See you out there Thursday and good luck to Sian!