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Sadiq Aman Khan
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About
Sadiq Khan is a British politician, former human rights lawyer and Mayor of London. He was born in Tooting, south London to working-class Pakistani immigrants. His father worked as a London bus driver for twenty-five years, while his mother was a seamstress. Khan attended local state schools and grew up on a council estate with his parents and seven siblings in a crowded three-bedroom flat in Wandsworth.
Khan studied law at the University of North London and qualified as a solicitor, specializing in human rights. At the age of 27, he became a partner in the law firm Christian Khan, where he worked on significant cases related to civil liberties and racial justice. He dedicated his legal career to fighting for victims of discrimination and police misconduct.
Khan’s political career began as a councillor in Wandsworth, followed by his election as MP for Tooting in 2005. He held several government positions, including Minister for Communities and Transport, becoming the first Muslim and first person of South Asian heritage to attend Cabinet. In 2016 he made history again as the first Muslim Mayor of a major European capital, winning 56.9 per cent of the vote in the second round, which at the time was the largest personal mandate received by any UK politician. He was re-elected in 2021 and 2024, serving a third term.
Khan has made significant contributions to transportation and environmental sustainability as Mayor of London. He introduced the Hopper fare, enabling unlimited bus and tram journeys for £1.50 within one hour of entry, supported major transport infrastructure projects like the Elizabeth line, Superloop and Night Tube, and banned adverts on public transport that objectify or demean women. His environmental measures, including charges for polluting vehicles, air quality audits in primary schools, expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone, more tree planting and increased electric vehicle charging points, have helped cut emissions and improve London’s air quality.
Khan has also taken steps to address issues affecting young people. He introduced free school meals for all state-educated primary school pupils, established the No Nights Sleeping Rough task force to tackle youth homelessness and created the London Gang Exit Programme to help young people leave or reduce their involvement in criminal gangs and the county lines drugs trade.
Khan has pushed for police accountability, too, resulting in the departure of former Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick in 2022 over the force’s inability to address a culture of racism, misogyny and homophobia among its officers. He subsequently appointed a new Commissioner and launched an independent review to rebuild trust.
First Muslim to be elected Mayor of a major Western capital city, winning the 2016 London mayoral election with a record-breaking personal mandate (56.9 per cent in the second round)
Winner of GQ Politician of the Year Award (2016 and 2017) for his leadership and public service
Named one of TIME magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world, 2018
Awarded the Sitara-e-Pakistan (2018) by the President of Pakistan, a civil honour recognizing his contributions to public life and the British Pakistani community
Knighted as a Knight Bachelor in the 2025 New Year honours, becoming the first Mayor of London to receive a knighthood
Breathe: Seven Ways to Win a Greener World (London: Cornerstone, 2023)
Sadiq Khan article contributions, Guardian website, https://www.theguardian.com/profile/sadiqkhan
Sadiq Khan article contributions, Independent website, https://www.independent.co.uk/author/sadiq-khan
Sadiq Khan article contributions, Labour List website, https://labourlist.org/author/sadiq-khan/
Sadiq Khan article contributions, London Evening Standard website, https://www.standard.co.uk/author/sadiq-khan
Sadiq Khan article contributions, New Statesman website, https://www.newstatesman.com/author/sadiq-khan
Bentham, Martin, ‘London Mayoral Election: What Has Sadiq Khan Done to Tackle Crime in Our City?’, London Evening Standard (26 March 2024), https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/mayoral-election-2024-sadiq-khan-crime-b1147751.html
‘Blog: Seven Things You Should Know about Sadiq Khan’, Institute of Directors (30 October 2016), https://www.iod.com/resources/seven-things-you-should-know-about-sadiq-khan/
Donovan, Tim, ‘London Mayor Election: How Sadiq Khan Won over London for the Third Time’, BBC (4 May 2024), https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-68959313
Gayne, Daniel, ‘London Mayoral Elections 2024: Sadiq Khan’s Record on the Built Environment’, Building Design (16 April 2024), https://www.bdonline.co.uk/briefing/london-mayoral-elections-2024-sadiq-khans-record-on-the-built-environment/5128903.article
Kellner, Peter, ‘Sadiq Khan’, Encyclopaedia Britannica (29 April 2025), https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sadiq-Khan
Mendes, Kaitlynn and Dikwal-Bot, Diretman, ‘Feminism, Social Media, and Political Campaigns: Justin Trudeau and Sadiq Khan’, in David Taras and Richard Davis (ed.) Electoral Campaigns, Media, and the New World of Digital Politics (Michigan: University of Michigan Press, 2022), pp. 60–82
Li, Cecilia, ‘Letter: Don’t Forget the London Mayor’s Achievements’, Financial Times (25 March 2021), https://www.ft.com/content/f96e2da2-7c22-429a-8818-9c3f0b810ff2
‘Press Release: New Data Shows Mayor’s ULEZ Expansion Is Working Better Than Expected, Bringing Cleaner Air to Five Million More Londoners’, Mayor of London website (25 July 2024), https://www.london.gov.uk/media-centre/mayors-press-releases/new-data-shows-mayors-ulez-expansion-working-better-expected-bringing-cleaner-air-five-million-more
'Manifesto, Sadiq’s Top 20 Achievements', Sadiq Khan website, https://sadiq.london/manifesto/sadiqs-top-20-achievements/
Mayor of London website, https://www.london.gov.uk/
'Sadiq’s Story', Sadiq Khan website, https://sadiq.london/sadiqs-story/
Taylor, Matthew, ‘Sadiq Khan’s Green Credentials May Be Critical in London Mayoral Election’, Guardian (27 April 2024), https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/apr/27/sadiq-khan-environment-london-mayoral-election
Webber, Esther, ‘London Mayor: The Sadiq Khan Story’, BBC (7 May 2016), https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-36140479
‘Who Is Sadiq Khan? Labour Mayor Seeking Record Third Term as London Mayor’, Sky (1 May 2024), https://news.sky.com/story/who-is-sadiq-khan-labour-mayor-seeking-record-third-term-as-london-mayor-13126979
UK Parliament Archives
Banner image credit
Thurston Hopkins/Picture Post/Hulton Archives via Getty Images
Image credit
© Remaking Britain: South Asian Connections and Networks, 1930s – present
Entry credit
Anisah Rahman
