Sadiq Khan, a record three times as mayor, and a victory for diversity in London

Sadiq Khan recorded a record third time being elected mayor of London. He was praised for protecting various communities in London.

AP/KIN CHEUNG

London Mayor Sadiq Khan and his wife, Saadiya Ahmed, posed for a photo with the media as they were about to cast their vote in the London mayoral election in London, England, on May 2, 2024. Khan was re-elected for the third time as London's mayor.

Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London who comes from the Labor Party, has made history. He was re-elected for the third time as mayor of London. In the regional head elections in London, May 2 2024, the results of which were announced on Saturday (4/5/2024), he defeated the Conservative Party candidate, Susan Hall.

Khan (53) has become the first person to be elected as the mayor of London for the third time. By gaining 44% of the vote, he recorded an increase in his winning margin compared to the previous election in 2021.

Patrick Diamond, a professor of public policy at Queen Mary University of London, called Khan's victory not only an affirmation of his status as a leading Muslim politician amid the mildly Islamophobic campaign hit by other rival candidates. . "(Her victory) is also an affirmation of London's status in terms of diversity, liberalism and cosmopolitanism," he said.

Khan thwarted the hopes of Hall and the Conservative Party who hoped to seize the capital of England from the Labour Party for the first time since 2016. "It is truly an honor to be re-elected for a third term," Khan said in front of his supporters on Saturday (4/5/2024).

When he was first elected as the Mayor of London in 2016, replacing Boris Johnson, Khan became the first Muslim mayor in the capital of a Western country.

"We are running a campaign in line with the spirit and values of this big city, a city that views our diversity not as a weakness but as an almighty strength, and a city that rejects right-wing populism," said Khan.

Also read: London Mayor Sadiq Khan Fulfills Promises

Khan's statement relates to the situation before the election. In her campaign, Susan Hall, Khan's opponent from the Conservative Party, described Khan as having a divisive attitude.

AFP / BENJAMIN CREMEL

London Mayor Sadiq Khan (center), who has been re-elected, stands together with other mayoral candidates at the London Mayor Declaration in London, England, on Saturday (5/4/2024).

According to Hall, as reported by the BBC on October 3, 2023, such attitudes "make some Jewish residents in London fearful." Hall said he wants to make London a safer place for everyone.

Hall's statement delivered at the Israeli Conservative Friends event has received criticism. The statement is labeled as "dog whistle politics" by the Jewish Labor Group.

Praise of the Jewish community

A member of parliament from the Jewish Labor Party, Dame Margaret Hodge, urges Hall to withdraw his statement. The Board of Deputies of British Jews, as the largest Jewish communal organization in Britain, then released a statement praising Khan as someone who treats them "with friendship and respect".

"One of the things he notably demonstrated, and I challenge anyone who disagrees with this, is representing the diverse communities in London," said Jack Brown, a London studies lecturer at King's College London. "He may not always be completely right, but he is the type of person who can unite diverse communities."

Khan, before his party's call, The Labour Party, urged for a ceasefire in Gaza. He was criticized for giving the green light to pro-Palestinian marches in London. Nevertheless, according to Brown, Khan is also known as a figure who often speaks out against anti-Semitism and builds bridges among Jewish leaders.

AP/KIN CHEUNG

London Mayor Sadiq Khan and his wife, Saadiya Ahmed, walked together with their dog, Luna, as they cast their votes in the London mayoral election in London, England on May 2, 2024.

From a societal standpoint, Khan also faces pros and cons. His supporters say that he has achieved numerous accomplishments, including expanding housing development, providing free school meals for children, controlling transportation costs, and overall safeguarding minority groups in London.

Khan's achievements, among others, include expanding housing development, providing free school meals for children, controlling transportation costs, and generally nurturing minority groups in London.

As for his critics, they claim that he oversees the spike in crime, is anti-car, and allows pro-Palestine protests to become a regular weekend event.

"We are facing relentless negative campaigns. However, I am very proud that we responded to fear with facts, hatred with hope, and efforts to divide with efforts to unite," said Khan in his victory declaration.

Strengthen the Labor Party

Nationally, Khan's victory in London further strengthens the Labor Party, which has not been in power in England since 2010. The party swept a number of mayoral and regional head elections, defeating the ruling Conservative Party ahead of the upcoming national election, which is getting closer.

Also read: R&D Analysis of "Kompas": The Labor Party's Challenge to Win Hearts

In addition to winning the elections in London, the Labour Party also won the mayoral elections in Yorkshire, Manchester, Liverpool in the north, as well as the elections throughout the Midlands.

For the Labor Party, the victory in the West Midlands can be said to be the best victory. The incumbent from the Conservative Party, Andy Street, who ran for a third term in office, unexpectedly lost to Richard Parker from the Labor Party.

The win in that region was considered the best as the West Midlands is widely considered to be a major bellwether in England. Labor Party leader Keir Starmer went so far as to call Labour's victory in the West Midlands "phenomenal" and "beyond Labour's expectations".

AP/PA/JACOB KING

The leader of the Labour Party, Sir Keir Starmer (on the right), celebrated the victory of the elected mayor of West Midlands, Richard Parker (front, second from the left), at the International Convention Centre, Birmingham, England, on May 4, 2024.

In the recent mayoral election, the Conservative Party only secured one victory. Tory Mayor Ben Houchen was re-elected in Tees Valley, northeast England, with significantly decreased support.

The Conservatives' poor results

With a poor result, the Conservative Party led by Rishi Sunak occupied third place in the council's vote acquisition after losing nearly 500 seats.

On Saturday, Sunak admitted in the Daily Telegraph that “voters are frustrated”. However, he tried to argue that Labor “didn't win where they admitted they needed to get a majority”. “We Conservatives have everything to fight for,” he said.

Also read: Small British Parties See Concession Opportunities

Overall, regarding the Labour Party's success in the mayoral election, Starmer said, "People across the country are fed up with the chaos and setbacks of the Conservative Party and choose change with the Labour Party."

The success of the Labor Party occurred after they took control of councils throughout England that they had never held for several decades. The party also succeeded in special elections to secure seats in parliament.

If replicated in national elections, according to BBC, the council calculation shows that the Labour Party would win 34% of the vote. Meanwhile, the Conservative Party would lag behind by nine points.

KOMPAS/FRANSISKUS PATI HERIN

Tourists pass by near Big Ben in London, England on Sunday (26/11/2023). They pose with the iconic building in the background. London has just held its mayoral election, resulting in incumbent Shadiq Khan being re-elected for the third time as the city's mayor.

While Sky News projects that for the general election the Labor Party will be the largest party, but it will not achieve an overall majority.

Polling expert John Curtice regards there are several concerning signs for Labor Party, particularly because of the party's stance towards the Hamas-Israel war. Due to the party's strong pro-Israel position, the party has lost control of one local authority and several council members in several places.

Starmer also acknowledged that his party has an issue with Muslim voters. However, overall the result is still positive for the man who is favored to become the next prime minister in the next general election.

Also read: British Citizens Make Their Choice

According to Curtice, this is an election that was held with a greater push to defeat the Conservatives than enthusiasm for the Labour Party. "Electorally, it is still unclear whether Sir Keir Starmer is the successor to (Tony) Blair," he added.

For the next election, Sunak has control over deciding the date for the next national election. He has indicated that the election will be held in the second half of 2024. (AP/AFP/REUTERS)