"Being Mayor of London is the best job in the world so I’m not surprised that everyone wants to be the mayor.”
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan says he is relaxed about the potential of former party leader Jeremy Corbyn running as an independent against him in next year’s contest.
Khan, who is seeking election for a third term as mayor, told the PA news agency: “Last time I stood for mayor in 2021, I think there were 20 candidates, including Count Binface.
“And so let’s wait and see how many people put their names forward for the elections next May.
“I genuinely think – and I’ve had a number of other jobs before being the Mayor of London – being the Mayor of London is the best job in the world so I’m not surprised that everyone wants to be the mayor.”
His comments come after Corbyn hinted at an Edinburgh fringe event on Saturday, where he was joined by Conservative commentator Iain Dale and former Unite General Secretary Len McCluskey, that he could run for mayor as he still had ambitions to deliver “change in our society”.
Asked whether he would run for London Mayor, he replied: “Well let’s have a think about it, shall we?
“I want to see change in our society. I’m not disappearing, I’m not going away.
“I look at my diary and I’m more active than I have ever been at any other time in my life.”
Corbyn was stripped of the Labour whip over his response to a damning report into anti-Semitism in the party with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer making it clear he will not be allowed to stand as a candidate for the party at the next general election.
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
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