Sir Sadiq Khan has been granted a peerage in Sir Keir Starmer's resignation honours list, despite previously calling for the abolition of the House of Lords. The Mayor of London is among 26 new lords announced as the prime minister prepares to hand over to Andy Burnham on Monday.
No Rule Against Dual Role
There is no rule preventing Sir Sadiq from sitting in the House of Lords while remaining as London mayor, a position he has held for a decade. Ben Houchen, the Conservative mayor of Tees Valley since 2017, has been a peer for three years. Conservative London Assembly member Shaun Bailey, who ran for mayor in 2021, is also a peer. In a 2022 exchange with Lord Bailey at City Hall, Sir Sadiq described the appointment as “proof, if it was ever needed, that we should abolish the House of Lords”.
Will Sadiq Khan Run Again?
Sir Sadiq’s team has indicated he will stay on as mayor until at least his third term ends in 2028. However, he has made no firm commitment on standing again, telling the Standard in May: “There are one or two dream jobs I would give up this job to do but let’s wait and see if they contact me.” He has described his current role as “the best job, not just in politics but in the world”, but noted personal costs, including round-the-clock police protection since 2017—unprecedented for a municipal official and London’s first Muslim mayor.
Rumours about potential successors are circulating, with Dawn Butler, Labour MP for Brent East, previously denying reports she was preparing a mayoral campaign. Polls suggest Sir Sadiq would be favourite to win a fourth term: a Savanta UK survey for the Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London, this week put Labour on 33%, the Tories and Reform UK on 18% each, the Green Party on 17%, Liberal Democrats on 9%, and others on 6%.
Could He Join Andy Burnham's Cabinet?
As a Lord, Sir Sadiq could be offered a ministerial role in Andy Burnham’s cabinet. The prime minister-in-waiting has vowed to deliver “the biggest rebalancing of power the country has ever seen” and shift authority from Westminster to regional mayors. However, it is understood that Sir Sadiq has told Mr Burnham he has no wish to be a minister. His elevation to the House of Lords does provide a permanent parliamentary platform for after he leaves City Hall, allowing him to remain active in politics without returning to the Commons.
