Right, so I’m down the pub last week having a pint with my mate Arthur. He’s going on about politicians, isn’t he? “They’re all the same, mate. Just out for themselves.” Standard pub chat.
Then I mention Sadiq Khan winning again; third time running as London Mayor. Arthur goes quiet. Takes a sip of his bitter. “Fair play though,” he says. “He actually does stuff.”
Got me thinking. Most politicians are about as popular as a parking ticket. But Khan keeps smashing elections. Big time. So why is Sadiq Khan so popular when everyone else gets binned off?
Tooting Boy Done Good
Sadiq Khan didn’t come from money. Tooting, South London. One of eight kids. Pakistani immigrant family. Dad drove buses; mum worked a sewing machine. Proper working class.
This matters. When Khan talks about transport costs, people listen. He’s counted pennies for bus fare. Worried about rent. He gets it.
Worked his way up. Lawyer, then MP for Tooting in 2005. Mayor in 2016. That journey from council estate to City Hall? People see themselves in that story.
The Numbers Are Mental
May 2024. Khan gets 1,088,225 votes. Beats Susan Hall with 43.7%. That’s an 11-point win. Not close. Proper hammering.
His approval ratings? +13%. After eight years in the job. Most politicians would kill for those numbers.
He’s the 3rd most popular Labour politician nationally. 8th most popular overall. Not bad for a bus driver’s son from Tooting.
Transport Actually Works Now
The hopper fare changed everything. £1.75 gets you unlimited bus and tram journeys within an hour. Before Khan? You paid twice if you changed buses.
That saves families hundreds a year. Real money. Money that matters when you’re skint.
He’s frozen TfL fares loads of times too. Everything else costs more, but getting around London doesn’t. People notice.
ULEZ – The Big Row
Ultra Low Emission Zone. Christ, what a fight that was. Khan charges polluting cars £12.50 daily to drive in London. People went mental.
Especially outer London folks who need cars. They were furious. Proper angry.
But Khan stuck with it. Even when it was killing him politically. The scrappage scheme helped with 15,232 old bangers off the roads. 54,700 applications approved.
Now the air’s cleaner. Kids breathe easier. When your daughter stops coughing, you get why he did it.
Doesn’t Back Down
Khan gets more abuse than any politician I’ve seen. Trump called him a “stone cold loser” and a “nasty person” . Far-right nutters constantly attack him. Press have been vicious.
He just gets on with it, though. No whining. No victim act. Just does the job.
Terrorists hit London? Khan was there coordinating the response. COVID happened? He fought the government for London support. Shows up when it matters.
Actually Cares About Kids
Record investment in youth clubs. Not just tough talk on crime; actually tackling why kids get into trouble.
Young people need somewhere to go. Something to do. Khan gets that. Built loads of new youth centres.
Knife crime’s dropping in areas with new centres. Parents see that. Remember who made it happen.
Green Stuff That Actually Works
Zero-carbon London by 2030. Sounds mad, but he’s actually doing it.
Climate change isn’t abstract when your house floods or your kids can’t breathe properly. Khan’s environmental policies have real benefits people can see.
He Actually Likes The Job
Most politicians hate their jobs. Going through motions. Not Khan. He genuinely wants to make London better.
When he talks about transport or housing, he means it. Not just political waffle. People spot fake politicians miles away. Khan’s not fake.
Competition’s Rubbish
Helps that the Tories keep picking terrible candidates. Susan Hall banging on about bendy buses while people worry about rent? Come on.
They don’t get London. Khan does because he is London. Working class, multicultural, ambitious but not up himself.
Makes Hard Choices
ULEZ was unpopular at first. Now people see cleaner air. That’s proper leadership.
Most politicians do focus groups before changing their socks. Khan makes decisions he thinks are right, then sticks with them.
Bottom Line
Khan delivers. Not everything, not perfectly. But enough that people trust him to keep trying. He represents what London actually looks like. Not what some people wish it looked like.
After eight years, he’s still winning big because he gives a toss. Simple as that.
The real question isn’t why is Sadiq Khan so popular. It’s why aren’t more politicians like him.
London’s got a Mayor who actually cares about the people who voted for him. No wonder they keep backing him.
Most politicians would rather poll well than do well. Khan does the job first and worries about popularity second. Turns out that’s exactly what makes you popular.
Funny how that works.
