It’s been quite the year for Sadiq Khan, hasn’t it? He made history back in May when he was re-elected as the Mayor of London for a record-breaking third term. And now he’s gone and secured himself a spot on the New Year Honours List. All in a year’s work, hey?
Khan worked as a human rights lawyer before becoming an MP in 2005, he then became the first Muslim mayor of a major Western city when he was elected as the Mayor of London in 2016. The Tooting-born, son of a bus driver has served as the Mayor of London ever since, and has just been awarded a knighthood for his political and public service. He was one of a number of Labour politicians awarded honours in this year’s list.
Khan’s mayorship has seen positive impact on the capital city in the form of free school meals, a record number of council homes being built, and the clean-up of the city’s air. But it’s certainly come with its fair share of controversy, too. He’s continuing to face backlash for the rise in the capital’s crime rates, the ULEZ expansion, and London’s ongoing housing crisis. A petition started by Conservative Councillor, Matthew Goodwin-Freeman, opposing Khan’s knighthood has already had over 200,000 signatures since December 5.
Sadiq Kahn, on receiving his knighthood, said: “I couldn’t have dreamed when growing up on a council estate in south London that I would one day be mayor of London. It’s the honour of my life to serve the city I love and I will continue to build the fairer, safer, greener and more prosperous London that all of the capital’s communities deserve.”
Other public figures to make the New Year Honours List this year include Gareth Southgate, Stephen Fry, Sarah Lancashire, and Jacqueline Wilson. You can read the full list here.