Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Sadiq Khan pledges to lobby Labour government 'for more powers'

The mayor said he was looking forward to “constant obstacles not being put in my way� with the Tories

Sadiq Khan pledges to lobby Labour government 'for more powers'

SADIQ KHAN has pledged to lobby the incoming Labour government for new powers and billions more in funding for affordable housing in the capital.

The mayor said he was looking forward to “constant obstacles not being put in my way” with the Tories ousted from Whitehall.


But he also said he would continue arguing for more funds to help London tackle its housing crisis. Khan has been lobbying in recent months for a £2.2 billion “emergency stimulus” package to boost home-building.

Asked about that lobbying, he said that he is expecting Angela Rayner as the next Housing Secretary to “make a couple of announcements before recess to make sure that we get house-building going”.

The mayor added: “What the Labour party has said in its manifesto is they want to build 1.5 million homes in the first parliamentary term… A large chunk of that should be in London.”

On the question of further devolution to City Hall, he said he “absolutely” hoped to see new powers specifically around skills training and housing handed down to mayors and regional authorities.

“What I’ve been pleased about over the last few months is, with mayors across the country, meeting regularly with Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner, Rachel Reeves,” he said.

“I’m hoping that over the course of the next few days, Keir Starmer as the new Prime Minister will meet with us to discuss what powers and resources can be devolved.”

Reacting to the landslide result which unfolded over the early hours of Friday morning, the mayor said: “These results, literally, are unbelievable.

“In my wildest dreams I couldn’t have imagined, if you and I were speaking in 2019, that within one parliamentary term, we’d be not just forming the next Government, but with the majority that we will have.”

He said that it had been “the best results in London for Labour ever”, adding: “There are no Conservative MPs in central London or inner London. It’s a great night for Labour.”

Asked for the most important factor behind the result, Mr Khan said: “Keir Starmer.

“Keir Starmer is somebody who has changed our party for the better. He’s learnt the lessons, the correct lessons, from the worst result since 1935, that we got in 2019.

“He’s changed our party, root and branch… but also, he’s made sure that we fight these elections in a tactical and strategic way,” he said, pointing out that the Labour vote was far more efficiently spread than it had been in prior elections.

In terms of what the result will mean for London, the mayor said: “The key thing that I’m looking forward to is constant obstacles not being put in my way.

“Working with, not just me as the Mayor of London, but mayors across the country in a collegiate way.

“It does not mean a blank cheque from Rachel Reeves and Keir Starmer. What it means is an open, candid relationship.

“I’ve already spoken to Keir, during the course of the night – I was in touch with him yesterday. I only wish we’d had that same sort of relationship with the Conservative government over the last eight years.”

(Local Democracy Reporting Service)

More For You

Norman Tebbit
Following Thatcher’s third general election victory in 1987, Tebbit stepped back from frontline politics to care for his wife. (Photo: Getty Images)

What was the Tebbit Test and why was it controversial?

LORD NORMAN TEBBIT, the former cabinet minister who introduced the controversial “cricket test” to question the loyalty of migrants, has died at the age of 94. The test, later known as the “Tebbit Test,” suggested that immigrants who supported cricket teams from their countries of origin instead of England were not fully integrated into British society. His death was confirmed on Monday by his son, William, who asked for privacy for the family.

Tebbit first spoke about the test in 1990 as a Conservative MP. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, he said, “A large proportion of Britain's Asian population fail to pass the cricket test. Which side do they cheer for? It’s an interesting test. Are you still harking back to where you came from or where you are?”

Keep ReadingShow less
Air India flight crash
Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft, operating flight AI-171 to London Gatwick, crashed into a medical hostel complex shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12.
Getty Images

Air India crash probe finds fuel to engines was cut off before impact

Highlights

 
     
  • Fuel to both engines of the Air India flight was cut off seconds before the crash
  •  
  • A pilot was heard questioning the other over the cut-off; both denied initiating it.
  •  
  • The Dreamliner crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad, killing 260 people.
  •  
  • Investigators are focusing on fuel switch movement; full analysis may take months.

FUEL control switches to both engines of the Air India flight that crashed shortly after takeoff were moved from the "run" to the "cutoff" position seconds before the crash, according to a preliminary investigation report released early Saturday.

Keep ReadingShow less
Chinese vessel tracked in Bay of Bengal after disabling identification system

The Indian Navy and Coast Guard have consistently reported Chinese research vessel presence. (Representational image: Getty Images)

Chinese vessel tracked in Bay of Bengal after disabling identification system

A Chinese research vessel was detected operating in the Bay of Bengal near Indian waters while attempting to conceal its presence by disabling its Automatic Identification System (AIS), according to a report by The Economic Times, citing French maritime intelligence firm Unseenlabs.

The French company conducted a 16-day satellite-based survey tracking ships through radio frequency emissions. It monitored 1,897 vessels, with 9.6 per cent showing no AIS activity, indicating attempts to avoid detection. The survey raised concerns amid increased Chinese activity in the region.

Keep ReadingShow less
Asian-inspired garden earns
five awards at Hampton Court

(From left) Malcolm Anderson (RHS, head of sustainability) Clare Matterson (RHS director general), Lorraine Bishton (Subaru UK and Ireland, managing director) Andrew Ball (director, Big Fish Landscapes) Mike McMahon and Jewlsy Mathews with the medals

Asian-inspired garden earns five awards at Hampton Court

BRITISH Asians are being encouraged to take up gardening by a couple who have won a record five medals at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival.

“It’s a contemporary reimagining of a traditional walled garden, highlighting the British and Irish rainforests,” said Jewlsy Mathews, who was born in Britain of parents from Kerala, a southern Indian state known for its lush vegetation.

Keep ReadingShow less
uk weather

Amber heat health alerts have been issued across several regions of England

iStock

England faces widespread heat alerts and hosepipe bans amid rising temperatures

Highlights:

  • Amber heat health alerts in place for large parts of England
  • Hosepipe bans announced in Yorkshire, Kent and Sussex
  • Temperatures could reach 33°C over the weekend
  • Health risks rise, especially for elderly and vulnerable groups

Heat warnings in effect as UK braces for another hot weekend

Amber heat health alerts have been issued across several regions of England, with temperatures expected to climb to 33°C in some areas over the weekend. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) activated the warning at 12 pm on Friday, with it set to remain in place until 9 am on Monday.

The alerts cover the East Midlands, West Midlands, south-east, south-west, East of England, and London. Additional yellow alerts were issued for the north-east, north-west, and Yorkshire and the Humber, starting from midday Friday.

Keep ReadingShow less