Full list of Sadiq Khan’s promises if he wins another term as Mayor of London

Sadiq Khan is vying for an historic third term as Mayor of London and will learn if voters would still like him to lead the capital once ballot papers have been counted on Saturday, May 4. Another four years at City Hall would make him the longest serving mayor of the capital.

He only has two predecessors, Ken Livingstone and Boris Johnson, who had two stints in the city’s highest office each. In an exclusive interview with MyLondon earlier this month, Mr Khan did not rule out running for a fourth term as he vowed to go on ‘as long as Londoners want him’.

But, he would need to first beat his rivals on May 2. In order to convince electors what he is the right choice, Labour’s City Hall incumbent has outlined what he would do if he were victorious once again.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about the London local election candidates, when it is and new rules

These include measures on crime, Londoners’ welfare, schooling, the climate and transport.

Crime and welfare

During MyLondon’s interviews with Mr Khan this year, he has talked many times about tackling the ‘complex causes’ of crime in the capital. Earlier this month, he described how he is aiming to treat criminality like an ‘infection’ and cut it out before it has chance to take hold.

To this end, schemes such as City Hall’s Violence Reduction Unit – a team of specialists that ‘brings people across London together to better understand why violence happens and to take action to prevent it now, and in the long-term’ – have been established. On Thursday, (March 21), the mayor made a fresh pledge of more cash to support young people who are not in education, employment or training to ‘gain the skills, experience and connections, including mentoring schemes for those most in need’.

Moreover, in February, Mr Khan also spoke of his aim to cut the number of suspensions and exclusions from London’s schools in an effort to ensure fewer youngsters get involved in criminality.

Another theme that the mayor has repeatedly mentioned is violence against women and girls. On Tuesday (March 19), he announced a ‘groundbreaking’ new trial which will see public bodies in London work directly with women and girls to design policies around public safety in the capital. The programmed will include Women Safety Audits trialled in five locations across London.

These will be conducted directly by 60 women from different parts of the capital who are being ‘recruited and trained up to conduct research in their local communities and gather feedback from women and girls about safety concerns’. In addition, Mr Khan’s scheme of mentors for young Londoners would continue, as well as work to end rough sleeping in the city.

Transport

Earlier this month, Mr Khan hinted that London could be in store for more Superloop bus routes. The express services call at fewer stops in order to get people where they want to go more quickly.

But, the circuit completely misses Havering. He told the Evening Standard on March 12: “Of course we’ll consider those parts of London where we could have express buses, the Superloop. We’re looking into what we could do – should I be lucky enough to win the election on May 2 – about the new generation of Superloop [services], and my message to those in Havering is, vote for me and you may get one.”

As regards the London Underground, in February, the mayor hinted to MyLondon that he may look to expand Night Tube services to more Tube lines if he were elected again. Mr Khan said that it was ‘on the table’ – but he is waiting to see what happens on May 2.

Work would also continue on the Bakerloo line extension, with the mayor stating on March 15 that new trains for the route were ‘a precursor to the extension of the line which would require a wider funding package’. In addition, Mr Khan has vowed to ‘accelerate’ his plan to introduce more electric London buses and plough on with his proposal to ensure the capital’s fleet is zero-emission by the 2030s.

This is despite two electric and one hybrid bus bursting into flames in recent months. In response to rumours about plans for a ‘pay per mile’ scheme for drivers in the city, Mr Khan says it is ‘not on the table’ and will not be rolled out as long as he serves as the mayor.

Housing

At the official launch of his election campaign on Monday, the mayor pledged to deliver 40,000 new council homes by the end of the decade. Labour says that more council homes are now being built under Mr Khan than at any time since the 1970s, with a ‘tenfold increase’ since the party took back City Hall in 2016.

But, the Conservatives have said that this latest promise includes 33,000 homes that Mr Khan has already committed to, and the remaining 7,000 are due to be built anyway. Critics add that, overall, the mayor has ‘started building just 2.8 per cent of the homes he promised to build by 2026 and is yet to complete a single one’.

Candidates are due to release an official list of their promises – a manifesto – so that electors can choose who to vote for and hold them to account. London Labour is keeping when Mr Khan’s will be released under wraps, but a source told MyLondon: “Sadiq will publish his manifesto in the weeks running up to the election”.

List of candidates

Here is a list of all those standing for mayor:

• Shyam Batra, independent

• Count Binface, independent

• Rob Blackie, Liberal Democrats

• Natalie Campbell, independent

• Howard Cox, Reform UK

• Amy Gallagher, SDP

• Zoe Garbett, Green Party

• Tarun Ghulati, independent

• Susan Hall, Conservative

• Sadiq Khan, Labour

• Andreas Michli, independent

Read our full exclusive interview with Sadiq Khan ahead of May 2 here.

Don’t miss out on the biggest stories from across the city. Sign up to MyLondon’s The 12 HERE for the 12 biggest stories each day.