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.
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