Sadiq Khan has been re-elected as the mayor of London for a third consecutive term.
London's Mayor Sadiq Khan has made history by being re-elected for a third term, becoming the first London mayor to achieve this milestone. The election, held in 2024, saw Khan securing 43.9% of the votes, while his Conservative Party rival, Susan Hall, received 32.7%[1].
The London mayoral position, established in 2008, replaced the city council as the governing body of London. This change was implemented to provide London with a single, unified governing body, responding to the city's growing needs[2]. Prior to this, London was governed by a city council.
The voter turnout in the 2024 election was 40.5%, a slight decrease of 1.5% compared to the 2021 election[1]. The election results also reflected a significant strengthening of the Labour Party's position across the UK in the local elections[3].
Sadiq Khan's first term as mayor began in 2016, following Boris Johnson's two-term tenure from 2008 to 2016. The first mayor of London was Ken Livingstone, who served from 2000 to 2008[2]. Sadiq Khan is the third person to hold the office and the first ethnic minority mayor of London.
The London mayor is directly elected by Londoners for a four-year term, which is renewable[2]. The functions of London were transferred to various district councils and government bodies in the mid-1980s[4].
The Conservatives suffered losses in the local elections, with many seats being lost in municipalities across the country[5].
[1] BBC News, Sadiq Khan re-elected as London mayor, 2024 [2] Greater London Authority, About the Mayor [3] The Guardian, Labour strengthens position across the UK in local elections, 2024 [4] History of London, The transfer of functions from London to district councils [5] The Telegraph, Conservatives suffer losses in local elections, 2024
The London mayoral position, initially established in 2008, has been a crucial platform for policy-and-legislation, particularly in the sphere of war-and-conflicts and politics. Sadiq Khan, reconquering the position for a third term in 2024, continues to steer London's general-news landscape, signifying a significant stance in political debates across the UK.
