Fresh from their impressive gains in last month’s elections, attention in London Labour circles has now turned towards the future intentions of Sadiq Khan. The capital’s mayor won re-election last year and is due to see his term expire at the beginning of May 2024. But after two terms in office, will he be running for a third? In January he told James O’Brien on LBC that he was ‘looking forward’ to standing again for the mayoralty and said he ‘doesn’t want’ Sir Keir Starmer’s job.
But such claims have not dampened speculation that Khan could return to the Commons, depending on the date of the next election. If, as expected, this parliament lasts until spring 2024 – another election could technically be put off until January 2025 – then Khan could relinquish the mayoralty and stand as an MP once more, without facing charges of double-jobbing. Even if Boris Johnson calls an early election and there is some overlap in timings, Khan could simply point to the example of his two predecessors. Both Ken Livingstone and, er, Johnson himself held elected posts in City Hall and the House of Commons simultaneously – the former at the beginning of his mayoralty and the latter at the end.
It may well be the case that Khan doesn’t want to take Sir Keir’s job off him – i.e help depose him – or indeed ever mount a leadership bid himself. But a plum Cabinet post such as Justice Secretary might well hold its allure for a lawyer whose most senior government role to date was minister of state for transport. Two constituencies where Sadiq could stand are thought to be the newly-created seat of Brixton and Clapham and the existing area of Camberwell and Peckham, where veteran Harriet Harman will stand down at the next election. Both are set to be Labour strongholds who’d no doubt welcome the former Tooting MP as their man in Parliament.
One Labour source points to Khan opting to muscle in on Lambeth Council’s decision to give planning permission to the Hondo Enormo-Tower along Pope’s Road in Brixton. Opposing a controversial local planning decision would go down very well with some local activists there, were Khan to run for the seat next time…
Asked for comment, a spokesperson for Khan told Mr S that: ‘Sadiq has the best job in the world as Mayor of London, making real improvements to the lives of ordinary Londoners while leading the city’s recovery from the pandemic. He has absolutely no plans to stand for Parliament.’
‘No plans’ could be the new ‘unforeseeable circumstances’ should Sadiq do a Hezza and stand again…
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