Londoners get their first Muslim Mayor-Sadiq Khan
Sadiq Khan has been declared the first Muslim Mayor of London, who secured a much-needed victory for the Labour Party. Before the election, his Conservative challenger Goldsmith tried to link him to terrorism. Khan received 56.9% of the votes in his favor whereas Goldsmith received only 43%. The 45-year-old is the first Muslim to lead a major Western capital.
Who is the Mayor of London?
The position of the Mayor of London was created during 2000, after a referendum in London; the Mayor is elected every four years by eligible voters. The Mayor has a broad range of duties and responsibilities covering transport, policing, housing, economic development, environment, arts and culture, and controlling a £17-billion-budget. The Mayor works along with the central government, councils of London and several others.
Only two Mayors since the position's creation
The first election for the office of the London Mayor was held in May 2000, and subsequently, three elections were held in Jun'04, May'08, and May'12. Ken Livingstone (Labour Party) served as the London Mayor from 2000 to 2008 (consecutively elected twice). In 2008, Boris Johnson (Conservative Party) was elected as the Mayor and was re-elected for a second term till 2016.
Who all are contesting in 2016?
The nomination for the 2016 election took place from 21-31 Mar'16. Zac Goldsmith was confirmed as the candidate from Conservative Party, and Sadiq Khan from the Labour Party. The Polish Prince Zylinski would stand as an independent candidate. Other candidates included Caroline Pidgeon from Liberal Democrats, Sian Berry for Green Party, George Galloway from Respect Party, Sophie Walker from Women's Equality Party and others.
Supplementary voting system used for 2016 election
The 2016 London Mayoral election took place on 5 May 2016 to choose the Mayor from a total of 12 candidates. The election adopted a supplementary vote system where voters could express their first and second preference.
A very low voter turnout
While the experts predicted that the turnout for the Mayoral elections would be as low as 45%, the actual number stood at 45.3%. Turnout drops were expected among the poor, young and the dwellers of inner London.
From a bus driver's son to the Mayor
Sadiq Khan belongs to a Pakistani immigrant family from South London. His late father was a bus driver for over 25 years in London; Khan's grandparents had migrated from India to Pakistan after the partition of India in 1947. Before becoming the Mayor, Khan had held several positions including the Member of Parliament, State Communities Minister, State Transport Minister and Shadow Minister for London.
As a solicitor, Khan fought against discrimination
Apart from being an active politician, Sadiq Khan is a solicitor. He studied law at the College of Law in Guildford. He fought several cases involving the police, employment, inquests, discrimination, crime, etc.
