Sadiq Khan: 'It's time for Sunak to let the public choose', elected London mayor for third time
The UK held local council elections and mayoral elections in several cities on the 2nd. The results of the London mayoral election were announced on the 4th. Sadiq Khan, the current mayor of London from the Labor Party, won the election with a clear advantage and was elected mayor of London for the third time.
Counting results showed that Sadiq Khan received more than 1 million votes, accounting for nearly 44% of the total votes, 11 percentage points higher than his main rival, Conservative candidate Susan Hall.
Sadiq Khan, 53, was first elected mayor of London in 2016 and will be re-elected in 2021. A descendant of Pakistani immigrants, he is London's first Muslim mayor. Supporters believe he has achieved results in building housing, providing free student meals, and curbing bus fares, while critics blame him for London's failure to control crime in recent years.
Just a few days ago, a stabbing incident occurred in London, resulting in one death and multiple injuries. The suspect was arrested on the spot.
Sadiq Khan joined the Labor Party at the age of 15, worked as a dentist, and later became a lawyer. He entered politics in 1994. In 2008, he was appointed Secretary of State for Communications by the then Labor Prime Minister Gordon Brown, becoming the first person in the UK to participate in cabinet meetings. Muslim cabinet minister.
Speaking at the announcement of the vote count, Sadiq Khan said: "London has been swimming against the tide of Conservative government for the past eight years. Now Labor, under the leadership of Keir Starmer, is ready to govern again , Rishi Sunak It’s time to let the public choose.”
Labor performed well overall in the local council elections. According to the Associated Press, as of the evening of the 4th, the votes for most seats had been counted. The Conservative Party had lost half of the approximately 1,000 seats it needed to defend. The Labor Party had gained about 200 more seats, and the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party had also gained gains.
Labor leader Starmer issued a statement saying that the election results exceeded the Labor Party's expectations. “People across the country have had enough of Tory chaos and decline and voted for Labour’s change.”
The UK will hold the next parliamentary election no later than January 28 next year. According to Prime Minister Sunak's plan, parliamentary elections may be held in the second half of this year.
Opinion polls show that since Sunak came to power in October 2022, the opposition Labor Party has maintained a double-digit lead over the ruling Conservative Party. Opinion polls predict that Labor will win the next parliamentary election, ending the Conservative Party's 14 consecutive years in power.