Sadiq Khan has been re-elected as the mayor of London after he defeated his Conservative rival Shaun Bailey in the just-concluded local body polls in the English capital.
Khan, a former Labour MP, had created history by becoming the first Muslim mayor of any European country’s capital in 2016. On Saturday, Khan secured 55.2% of the popular vote after he had to face a run-off with Bailey since neither of them had managed to secure a majority in the first round.
Green Party’s Sian Berry secured the third position, while the Liberal Democrats’ Luisa Porritt came fourth.
Reacting to his win, Khan tweeted, “Thank you London. It’s the absolute honour of my life to serve the city I love for another three years. I’ll leave no stone unturned to get our city back on its feet. A brighter future is possible, and we’ll deliver it together.”
Thank you London. It’s the absolute honour of my life to serve the city I love for another three years.
I’ll leave no stone unturned to get our city back on its feet.
A brighter future is possible, and we’ll deliver it together. pic.twitter.com/kwA1awEten
— Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) May 8, 2021
London’s Sky News quoted him as saying, “I am deeply humbled by the trust Londoners have placed in me to continue leading the greatest city on earth.
“I promise to strain every sinew, help build a better and brighter future for London, after the dark days of the pandemic and to create a greener, fairer and safer city for all Londoners, to get the opportunities they need to fulfil their potential.”
Khan’s extraordinary second term as London’s mayor comes at a team the Labour party is facing another leadership crisis after it lost the by-polls for the Hartlepool parliamentary seat to the Conservatives. The Labour had never lost this seat for more than 50 years. The Labour also lost control of several local bodies across England. The defeat has brought the leadership of Sir Keir Starmer.
