The position of Mayor of London appeared not so long ago. It was introduced after the London referendum in 2000. Since then, it has been chaired several times. Thus, in 2016, Sadiq Khan was elected to this position. His appointment caused resonance and surprise, as he entered the history of the city as the first Muslim to become the Mayor. What role does Sadiq Khan play in the development of the city? What do we know about this person? What are his political views? Learn more at london-yes.
Facts from biography
Sadiq Khan was born in a Sunni Muslim family on October 8, 1970. His parents were representatives of the working class and had moved to London from Pakistan shortly before their fifth child was born. In total, there were eight children in the family. Therefore, they weren’t wealthy people. His mother was a seamstress and his father was a bus driver. Children started to work at an early age. They were looking for work during holidays and weekends. Sadiq often worked in construction sites or stores. Despite some difficulties, he received a good education. Sadiq Khan attended primary school and then went to Ernest Bevin School. There, he mainly focused on natural sciences and mathematics. The boy was an A-student in those subjects because he wanted to become a dentist in the future.
Education and legal career
During his studies at school, one of his teachers recommended the boy to study law because of his argumentative personality. It became a turning point for Sadiq Khan. As a result, he entered the University of North London to study law. In 1991, he received his coveted diploma. Sadiq Khan didn’t belong to politicians who had always dreamt of that career. Before his heyday in politics, there was a period of active legal activity. In 1994, he became a trainee solicitor at a law firm. Later, Khan managed to become a rightful partner of the firm. During this rather short period of legal activity, he won a large number of various cases in court. Discrimination of any kind has always attracted a lot of his attention (partly due to his background). He was also involved in cases relating to employment law, judicial inspections, investigations, police and crime.
The first steps in the political sphere
Sadiq Khan left the law firm in 2004, having become a potential Labour candidate for the House of Commons. In 2008, he was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. He held this position for a year, and later, became Minister of State for Transport. During the first years of active political activity, Sadiq Khan also worked on the creation of his own book, which was published in 2008. In his book, Khan urged for the restoration of the relationship between the Labour Party and British Muslims, as the party lost trust due to the war in Iraq. In general, this topic has always been and remains extremely important for a politician.
Further professional activity and the post of Mayor
In 2010, Sadiq Khan was re-elected as MP. The following years were distinguished by his very active career promotion. However, his political activity was negatively accepted by many people. Sadiq Khan became the object of conflicts and harsh criticism. Despite all the difficulties, in 2016, he won the election and became the new Mayor of London. In 2021, having defeated Conservative candidate Shaun Bailey, Sadiq Khan was re-elected for a second term.