Sadiq Khan on his national politics ambitions: 'Wait and see'

What does this mean to you personally? No one’s ever done this before. You’ve campaigned for the last couple of months. What? What does it mean to you personally? To be re elected here in London really isn’t about making history. It’s about shaping the future of our city. It’s humbling that the city’s that’s given so much to my family I’m able to serve. And it’s about making sure that we address the everyday problems like the cost of living crisis, making sure we provide free school meals for our kids, build record numbers of council homes and continue to have clean air in our city. It’s really important we carry on delivering. What excites me the most this year is the chance of working with a Labour government and the message from this election in London and across the country is it’s time for Rajasthan to call a general election. I was at a Palestinian protest this afternoon. It’s clear it didn’t have an impact on your vote, but it did have an impact on Labour’s vote in other parts of the country. Are you concerned going forwards about Labour’s message to the Muslim community? My experience from London, I’ve actually been campaigning for the last couple of months, Everyday speak to Londoners is they recognise our record of delivery over the last eight years but are excited by the change in government and there are all sorts of issues people raise on the doorstep. Of course people are concerned about the bloodshed and the killing in Hausa. And on October the 7th in Israel, London has won a ceasefire. London has won an arms embargo from this government to Israel. And I think the leadership shown by Keir Simon in recent months is listening to the views of all communities, including Muslims. Now, it’s been reasonably plain sailing for you to a degree, but it’s not been for Labour everywhere. You know, they’ve not got councils. They thought they might do. Ben Hudsham won. The West Midlands is currently on a knife edge. Just on that point. I mean, you, you’re a successful campaigner. How do you, what do you think Labour need to do to get things over the line at the general election? I’ve been so impressed by the changes Kirsten was brought about within the Labour Party, how he’s held the government to account and the fact that we’re now ready to form the next government. Whatever Rishi Zulak calls the general election, we’ve got, we’ve still got to, you know, persuade some people that we have changed. I’m really reassured by the results across the country. In parts of the country that hasn’t seen a Labour representative for for 14 years, they don’t have their Labour councillor, police, crime commissioner or a mayor. And that bodes well because we can show voters before the general election a record of delivery, but also reassure the country that when Keir Starmer becomes our Prime Minister, should we win the general election, his will be a change government bringing about the transformation our country so desperately needs. Susan Wall did win supporting some of those outer boroughs based on things like ULEZ concerns about knife crime. A lot of Londoners didn’t turn out. The vote turn out was also done a little. What? What’s your message to those people you didn’t win over? Well first I want to say thank you to Londoners for giving us a historic margin of victory, for giving us the third victory in a row. But I’ve always said since I first became mayor in 2016, I’ll be mayor for all Londoners, whether you vote for me or not. The fact that we made gains in inner London and outer London is a recognition that our policies of delivering cleaner air, delivering free school meals, delivering record numbers of council homes is working. But also Londoners want to see a change in government and what they’re excited about is the chance of a Labour mayor working with the Labour government led by Keir Starmer. I’m excited. The last time that happened was 20 years ago and us working together care the cabinet, Labour, mayor loans will see a transformed city. Can’t wait and just very, very finally, you know you’ve won London. Is this going to be the last term in London still ambitious for national politics? Listen, you speak to MO Sala once he scores a hat trick. He doesn’t say he’s scoring 4th. He waits and enjoys the hat trick. Let’s wait and see.