LONDON (The Thursday Times) — Sadiq Khan has achieved a historic victory in the London mayoral elections, securing an unprecedented third term. He was declared the winner over his Conservative opponent, Susan Hall, on Saturday afternoon following a fiercely contested campaign.
Sadiq Khan secured his re-election as the Mayor of London with over 1,088,000 votes, capturing 43.7% of the total vote and achieving a substantial majority of approximately 275,000 votes over his closest rival, Conservative candidate Ms. Susan Hall, who garnered just under 812,000 votes, or 32.6%. Earlier in the day, Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer expressed his confidence in Mr. Khan’s victory, emphasising that Khan was the ideal candidate for the role, having already demonstrated effective leadership during his previous two terms and anticipating further achievements in his third term.
During the campaign, Khan had downplayed his substantial lead in the polls, describing the race as a “close two-horse race” despite being 25 points ahead of Hall. This strategy seemed aimed at motivating Labour supporters and engaging less enthusiastic voters to participate in the election.
London Elects, the body responsible for overseeing the mayoral and London Assembly elections, reported a voter turnout of 40.5%, only slightly lower by 1.5% than in 2021. The constituencies of Bexley and Bromley, which are Conservative strongholds, saw the highest turnout at 48%.
Confidence in Khan’s camp grew after Labour managed to capture the North East and West Central constituencies from the Conservatives, a significant achievement that came more than two hours before the final results were announced.
The election was marked by a tense atmosphere, particularly on Friday night. Labour insiders described a “24-hour vacuum” during which counting was paused, allowing Conservative activists to dominate social media with claims that Hall was a more formidable contender than expected and that polling predictions had been vastly inaccurate. This situation led some within Labour to worry that the race could be much closer than anticipated.
This election was the first under new voting regulations implemented by the Conservatives, which included a shift to a first-past-the-post system and the requirement for voters to present photo ID at polling stations. These changes were widely expected to disadvantage Labour.
Throughout the campaign, intense debates and confrontations marked the interactions between Mr. Khan and Ms. Hall, particularly centered on issues such as knife crime and the management of pro-Palestinian marches in London. Mr. Khan had sharply criticised his opponent, labeling her the “most dangerous candidate I have fought against,” referring specifically to her past conduct on social media. In response, Ms. Hall acknowledged her past errors, learning from them, and described Mr. Khan’s criticism as “outrageous.”
A major point of contention in the election was Mr. Khan’s expansion of the ultra low emission zone (ULEZ), which faced significant opposition and sparked protests. Ms. Hall had campaigned on a promise to dismantle the ULEZ. The campaign also witnessed a misstep from the Conservatives when they had to withdraw a campaign video attacking Mr. Khan’s record on crime after it was revealed to include footage from an unrelated incident at a New York subway station, highlighting the heated and contentious nature of the election.
Labour’s campaign relied heavily on voter turnout, with Khan’s team emphasising its importance for securing a victory. However, the party’s stance on Gaza reportedly weakened its support in other local elections in areas like Oldham, Pendle, and Bolton. Despite this, London voters seemed to still support Labour, possibly influenced by Khan’s calls for an immediate ceasefire following the 7 October attacks.
Labour activists expressed concerns that urban voters in London felt the party had neglected its core supporters, a sentiment that emerged as Keir Starmer celebrated significant victories in Blackpool, Hartlepool, and Thurrock on Friday.
Criticism also came from within the Conservative ranks, with a London Conservative MP condemning Hall’s campaign for its overly negative focus on Khan rather than offering a clear, positive vision for London. They contrasted her approach with that of Conservative mayors Ben Houchen and Andy Street, who faced similar challenges but managed to succeed through bold, innovative ideas.
As the results were confirmed, Labour celebrated additional victories in mayoral elections across northern England. Steve Rotheram was re-elected as the mayor of Liverpool, Andy Burnham secured another term in Greater Manchester, and Tracy Brabin won re-election in West Yorkshire, consolidating Labour’s strong performance in urban centers.
