Sadiq Khan has been chosen to run for a third time as Labour’s representative in the London Mayor elections in 2024. Khan was first elected in 2016, succeeding Boris, then reelected last year. He said the upcoming race would be a ‘very tough election’, but added ‘there’s still so much more to do’.
Our Sadiq called being London Mayor ‘the best job in the world’ and denied rumours that he would be returning to Westminster where he was an MP for 11 years. He said by voting him in again it would be a chance to ‘send a message to the Tories’ about the current state of the economy.
This will be the first mayoral election that uses the first-past-the-post system, as in a UK general election, instead of a two-vote system. In his speech, Khan also addressed controversial new voter ID rules. In order to vote, Londoners will be required to have a voter ID, such as a passport or driving licence. Evidence suggests that those of minority backgrounds are far more likely not to possess either of these forms of ID. Although those residents are able to apply for voter registration, there are fears that many will not go through this process, meaning that swathes of Londoners might not be able to vote.
‘I’m more determined than ever to use all the experience and knowledge I’ve gained as Mayor to deliver on the issues that matter to Londoners, including supporting them through the cost-of-living crisis,’ he said. ‘It’s going to be a very tough election – the first using a first-past-the-post voting system in London and the new voter ID rules that appear deliberately designed to disenfranchise minority communities and disproportionately affect Labour voters.’
It has also been rumoured that Jeremy Corbyn could run against Khan as an independent candidate, but this is yet to be confirmed. The Tories haven’t announced their candidate yet, but if Sadiq Khan does win in May 2024 he’ll be the first London Mayor to serve three terms.
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