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London Mayor Sadiq Khan Comments on Local Elections and UK Foreign Policy
Sadiq Khan, mayor of London, urged voters to assess local councils' records in the upcoming May 7 elections rather than using them as a referendum on the Labour government. He acknowledged some former Labour supporters considering other parties but warned of potential regrets with Green or Reform-led councils.
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London Mayor Sadiq Khan spoke to The Guardian about the local elections scheduled for May 7, which will involve electing members of all 32 London boroughs, along with other councils and mayoralties across England, and members of the Scottish and Welsh parliaments.
Labour is expected to perform poorly in these elections. In London, forecasts indicate that some Labour councillors in inner boroughs may lose seats to Greens or independents, while Reform UK aims to gain seats on the city's outskirts.
Khan stated that he understands why some former Labour voters are considering other parties ahead of the elections. He encouraged voters to base their decisions on the track record of their local councils over the past 20 months, compared to the previous 14 years under different administrations.
Khan noted that the Labour government under Prime Minister Keir Starmer has made progress in areas such as child poverty and renters' rights, though not as much as Londoners might have preferred.
Khan specifically addressed voters potentially supporting Green or Reform UK candidates. He questioned whether such councils would deliver more effectively than those aligned with a Labour mayor and government. The elections come amid broader political challenges for Labour, including geopolitical tensions in Ukraine and Iran.
On foreign policy, Khan commented on US President Donald Trump's recent threat that Iran's "whole civilisation will die" if Tehran does not meet US demands. Khan described the statement as gratuitously offensive but declined to assess Trump's mental fitness for office, stating it was not his decision to make.
He expressed uncertainty about the justification, criteria for success, exit strategy, and legal basis for military actions against Iran by the US and Israel.
