London Mayor Sadiq Khan has said that even though he once supported a second referendum on Brexit back in 2018, he now believes the decision made by the British people in 2016 to leave the EU should be respected. He admitted that another vote isn’t likely to happen anytime soon, and said it would be difficult to even start talking about rejoining the European Union in the short term.
During an interview with the BBC, Khan made a light-hearted joke about declaring independence for London, saying he liked the sound of being called “El Presidente Khan.” He also joked that he’s often tempted to declare London independent from the rest of the UK. Despite the jokes, he made it clear that while returning to the EU is not realistic right now, he does hope the UK might rejoin in the future. He said that if the UK ever did go back, it shouldn’t just follow others’ rules but should have a say and help shape the future of the EU.
Khan has been Mayor since 2016 and was re-elected in both 2021 and 2024. However, not everyone is happy with the way the voting system works. Over 46,000 people have signed a petition demanding that all UK residents should be allowed to vote in London’s mayoral elections. The petition argues that London is such a powerful and important city that everyone in the UK should have a say in who runs it, not just those who live there.
Back in 2016, Khan supported the Remain campaign and even stood alongside then-Prime Minister David Cameron to encourage people to vote to stay in the EU. After the Brexit vote, he publicly welcomed EU citizens living in London, assuring them they were still welcome in the capital.
Recently, Khan marked his ninth year as Mayor and became the first person in the role to be given a knighthood for his work in politics and public service.
