Angela Rayner has given her full support to Lord Sadiq Khan seeking a fourth term as Mayor of London. The Communities Secretary praised Lord Khan, who has fended off repeated attacks by Donald Trump, for “championing a vibrant, multicultural, amazing city”.
In an interview with The Standard, she hailed him as “Mr London” who was putting the capital on the “world map”. Ms Rayner’s warm words came as the next mayoral contest, due to take place in 2028, was already starting to take shape. Lord Khan is expected to decide next year whether he will put his name forward for a fourth term.
Support and praise for the Mayor
Asked if she would like to see Lord Khan stand for another term, Ms Rayner said: “I love working with Sadiq Khan. Every time you speak to him, he is Mr London. You know he goes around championing what a vibrant, multicultural, amazing city that London is, and you can see that he tackles the challenges we face. Like rough sleeping, he's a real partner with me on that to make sure that every Londoner feels valued, and I'm really pleased to be working with him.”
Pressed whether this was support for a fourth term, she added: "If he wants it, I'm absolutely 100% behind Sadiq. He's been a tremendous Mayor for London, and you can see that whether it's crime going down, the investment in all parts of London. You can really see the vibrancy of our city, and you know it's world renowned for how brilliant it is. You see the events that come to London all the time. He's really puts us on the world map for all the right reasons."
Potential candidates and opposition
Amid the uncertainty, it is emerging that a number of Labour MPs may seek the party’s nomination if he decides to call it a day after three terms in City Hall. Brent East MP Dawn Butler has already won the support of the giant GMB union for a mayoral bid. However, other Labour figures seen as possible challengers to be the party’s candidate include Tottenham MP David Lammy, Tooting MP Rosena Allin-Khan, as well as Steve Reed, MP for Streatham and Croydon North.
Polling has suggested a majority of Londoners believe that Lord Khan should not seek a fourth term but it also showed that if he did he would win.
Conservative and Reform UK responses
Former Home Secretary Sir James Cleverly, the frontrunner to be the Tory candidate, has torn into Lord Khan’s record in City Hall on crime, transport and housing. He accused the Mayor of “giving up on London”, adding: “It feels like he's lost the fire for the job.” Reform UK’s mayoral candidate Laila Cunningham has also slammed Lord Khan’s handling of law and order in the city.
The Conservatives have narrowed down to four their shortlist for the party’s mayoral candidate. They are Sir James, Sara Gezdari who came second in Richmond Park at the 2024 general election, former police and crime commissioner Festus Akinbusoye, and businessman Alex Challoner. The list is set to be trimmed down to two or three candidates by early November to be put to party members in London. Former Foreign Secretary Sir James has already won the support of more than half of Conservative councillors in the capital for his mayoral bid.
