No surprise that Sadiq Khan has been re-selected as the Labour candidate for mayor of London. It is reported he received 96 per cent internal party support, despite some misgivings on the left. Khan will be going for a third consecutive term in 2024, and, if successful, he will be the first mayor to have done so since the post was established in 1999; Boris Johnson enjoyed two terms, while Ken Livingstone failed to win a third in 2008.
Superficially, things look good for Khan even at this distance. A recent YouGov poll suggests Labour enjoys a 44 per cent lead over the Conservatives in London – a remarkable 62 per cent to 18 per cent score, and the biggest regional gap in Britain. Khan has won each of his last two elections, and he also led in the first round: he beat Shaun Bailey by 44 per cent to 35.3 per cent in 2021, and Zac Goldsmith by 44 per cent to 35 per cent in 2016. He obviously enjoys high recognition and benefits from London being among the youngest, most diverse and pro-European parts of the UK. Looking at the next general election, it’s possible the Tories will be wiped out in Greater London.
However, there are some important factors that could yet deprive Khan of a hat trick.
