Sadiq Khan: Rishi Sunak's 'on something' if he thinks UK is heading for hung Parliament
A victorious Sadiq Khan on Tuesday dismissed suggestions by Rishi Sunak that the next General Election was likely to result in a hung Parliament.
Mr Khan said the scale of his re-election as mayor meant the Prime Minister was deluded to believe the country was not set for a Labour victory.
In his first interview since Saturday’s comprehensive trouncing of Tory rival Susan Hall, Mr Khan told the Standard: “I think Rishi Sunak should consider giving evidence to our [City Hall] commission on the consequences of smoking cannabis, because he is clearly on something.”
Asked what the mayoral result – which saw a 3.2 per cent swing from the Tories to Labour across the capital – would mean for Tory MPs in London, he said it was a vindication of his eight years as mayor. “We had gains in inner London and outer London, but it’s also recognition that Londoners are desperate for a change in Government,” he said.
He arrived wearing a new green linen suit tailored for him by Percival in Hackney, and tailored by Francesco’s in Berwick Street, Soho. “They said to me: It’s quite clear you are the green mayor – why don’t you dress like one? So here I am.”
He celebrated victory visiting his mother, who he said had been unwell, and joined an “amazing” party at Canary Wharf with Labour supporters on Saturday night.
But he refused to be drawn on suggestions that the scale of his victory might mean him seeking to stay in office beyond 2028 – though neither did he rule this out.
Asked how long he might remain, he said: “It’s not about thinking about the next election – it’s about what we can deliver for our city.
“One of the things I am determined to do is make sure London is a byword for opportunity. One of the things I have reflected on is my life journey, and today’s young Londoners may not be able to fulfil their potential. It’s not about thinking about the next election – it’s about what we can do over the next four years.
“There is the really exciting prospect of having a Labour government to work with. I think working with a Labour government can be transformative.”
He added: “I’m not even thinking about the next [mayoral] elections. What I’m thinking about is the first 30 days, the first 100 days. We have got a plan. We are going to hit the ground running.”
