LONDON: Sadiq Khan is heading for an unprecedented third term as London mayor, a victory warmly welcomed by his supporters in the community.
As results of Thursday’s mayoral election were announced on Saturday it become clear Khan had performed better than expected in several constituencies across the capital, including in Barnet and Camden, with its sizeable Jewish vote.
While his Conservative rival received support in the Brent and Harrow in the North London constituency, and as expected in Bexley and Bromley, in south London, elsewhere support for Khan increased in many places.
There was little sign that the controversial expansion of the Ulez scheme on the outskirts of the capital was having a major impact on the vote in London.
How the Labour mayor’s interventions over the on-going Gaza conflict had impacted on his vote from the Jewish community was hard to judge.
But in Barnet and Camden, Khan secured 70, 984 voted to Hall’s 57, 465.
This result seemed to put in doubt Hall’s claim that the Jewish community were frightened of Muslim mayor Khan.
But supporters within the community were quick to welcome the prospect of third term in office for Khan.
Leading human rights barrister Adam Wagner posted on social media:” Very pleased to see Sadiq Khan is on track for another term as London mayor. He got my vote.”
Adam Langleben, director of the Progressive Britain think tank told Jewish News:”I’m delighted Sadiq has been re-elected for a historic third term.
“At times like this we need politicians that seek to unite communities rather than divide and that’s what Sadiq has always done.
“There are challenges and this hasn’t been an easy election, but I believe Sadiq knows this and will rise to the challenges.”
But it was notable that in the Brent and Harrow region the Labour mayor was beaten by his Conservative rival Susan Hall.
But there was impressive support for Khan in West Central London, where he secured 43 per cent of the vote, with Hall on 35 per cent.
Khan also won Enfield and Haringey with 50 per cent of the vote, up four percentage points in comparison with the 2021 election. Hall came in second at 25 per cent.
He also won the South West constituency, receiving 37 per cent of the vote, with Hall behind at 33 per cent.
Hall won the outer London constituency of Bexley and Bromley with 54.5 per cent of the vote, a 0.1 percentage point drop in comparison with the Conservatives’ 2021 vote share.
Khan won 83,792 votes in Greenwich and Lewisham with Hall on 36,822 and Zoe Garbett of the Greens third with 11,209. In Merton and Wandsworth Khan won 84,725 votes and Hall 50,976, with Lib Dem Rob Blackie in third place with 13,153 votes.
Both constituencies saw the Green vote fall compared to the last contest in 2021.
Professor Sir John Curtice, the polling expert, told the BBC: “These are good results for Sadiq Khan and I think a lot of the speculation which emerged late last night and this morning has probably proven to be misplaced.
“I think we’ve already got a pretty clear indication that Sadiq Khan is indeed likely to be re-elected as the mayor of London.”
Courtesy: jewishnews
