In the run-up to the 2015 general election, former prime minister Lord Cameron famously compared third terms to a popular advertising slogan for Shredded Wheat, suggesting that “two are wonderful but three might just be too many”. Sadiq Khan, the two-time Mayor of London, appears to have no such concerns about his appetite for a further four years in office.
The Mayor is telling anyone who will listen that tomorrow’s election is a two-horse race between himself and his Tory rival, Susan Hall. And he is right. The decision by the Government to switch the electoral system to first-past-the-post dictates that voters realistically have only one of two levers to pull: Labour or Conservative. This theoretically increases the chances of an upset.
But the Conservatives have failed to capitalise on such an opening. The party’s selection process for its candidate descended into chaos last year. Respected alternatives, not least former minister for London Paul Scully, were eschewed in favour of the relatively unknown Hall. Her campaign has proved to be uneven at best, not aided by a lack of support from a national party which all too often affords the impression of having given up on the capital.
Hall has focused much of her energies on crime, Ulez and simply not being Khan. This is understandable, but in a Labour dominated city amid a heavily anti-Tory political environment, it does not appear close to being enough to win over the floating voters any Conservative candidate must secure to be competitive in the capital.
Mayor has to deliver on crime
Khan, for his part, has a complex record. On housing, though he can take credit for injecting energy into the capital’s affordable homes programme, Londoners continue to be priced out of their own city. But his biggest weakness is undoubtedly crime, with knife crime having risen significantly since 2016 and jumped 20 per cent in the most recent annual figures covering the 12 months to the end of last December.
Still, Khan can point to some significant policy achievements. First on air pollution, a silent killer on London’s streets. On transport, the Mayor remained a champion for the Elizabeth line in its difficult stages and can take his share of credit for the remarkable turnaround in Transport for London’s finances, which were on life support following the pandemic.
Of course, this election is ultimately about the future. Who can work more closely with what is likely to be a Labour government, secure the investment and demand the greater powers the capital needs to thrive as a global city in the 21st century? In a straight choice, we believe that person is Khan.
Yet that third term must rectify the failings of the first and second, this time delivering on his promises on crime, housing and the cost of living. On behalf of Londoners, we will be watching.
