Who is Sadiq Khan? The Labour Mayor after his third term

Khan was elected Mayor after his predecessors former Prime Minster Boris Johnson (2008-2016) and Ken Livington (2000-2008) who was the first Mayor to be elected into the role. 

The Labour Mayor will be going against the likes of the Conservative Susan Hall and the Liberal Democrat Rob Blackie to name a few.

Now, as the London Mayoral Elections draw closer, campaigning is fully underway as voters decide who will be Mayor of London for the next term.

Who is Sadiq Khan?

Born in Tooting, Khan was brought up in a working-class British Pakistani family and was once an amateur boxer.

Khan went to a state school before moving into higher education, studying law at the University of North London.

He began practising as a solicitor specialising in human rights while serving as a councillor in the London Borough of Wandsworth from 1994 to 2006.

Sadiq Khan is hoping for his third term as Mayor of London. (Image: PA)

Khan was elected as the MP for Tooting in 2005 before being appointed Minister of State for Communities in 2008 and later Minister of State for Transport.

His roles in the Cabinet made Khan the first Muslin and Asian MP to undertake the role of Minister.

Before deciding to run for Mayor in 2015, Khan was appointed Shadow Minister for London in 2012.

In 2016, he won the Mayoral London Election, beating Conservative candidate Zac Goldsmith and won again in the 2021 election, which was postponed by one year due to the pandemic.

What are Sadiq Khan's policies for the Mayor of London?

As the current Mayor of London, Khan has previously shared that he wants to "send a message" to the Conservative Party by winning a historic third term in the role as a Labour Mayor.

He said: "(This is) an opportunity for Londoners to send a message to the Tories, not only for crashing the economy but for their anti-London approach."

According to The Standard, Khan claimed he would support a youth mobility agreement with the EU, sharing that either a new scheme that allows young people to move freely to and from European countries or changes to post-Bexti visa rules.

Khan has also previously shared that as Mayor he wants to "make it possible for all Londoners to have the opportunity to get on in life, to fulfil their potential and to not just survive, but to thrive".

He has hopes to build more affordable homes, and affordable transport, tackle air pollution, helping communities come together and ensure the safety and security of London.

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Controversies

As Mayor of London, Khan has faced some backlash and criticism for policies, including expanding the Ulta Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) across all of Greater London, seeing non-compliant cars charged a daily rate of £12.50.

In September 2023, Khan faced an investigation over complaints he had breached the City Hall code of conduct following comments he made ahead of the ULEZ expansion.

However, in December 2023, the Mayor was cleared when an investigation by the Greater London Authority found Khan's comments did not breach the Code of Conduct.