London Mayor Sadiq Khan Draws Parallels Between His Success and Zohran Mamdani’s new York victory
NEW YORK – London Mayor Sadiq Khan has highlighted striking similarities between his own political journey and the recent election of Zohran Mamdani as a New York City mayoral candidate, suggesting both victories represent a rejection of nativist ideologies and a triumph for inclusive, multicultural leadership. Mamdani secured the Democrat ticket for the mayoral election, prompting Khan to reflect on the shared backlash both men have faced.
the resonance between their experiences,according to Khan and those close to both politicians,lies in their defiance of exclusionary worldviews. Leah Kreitzman, Khan’s former director of external and international affairs until 2021, explained that both men’s success challenges ideologies predicated on the impossibility of a leader embodying multiple identities. “The reason why [Sadiq] gets attacked, both by the far right and by Islamist extremists is that the very fact of him and his success means that they’re wrong,” Kreitzman said. “He completely defies their ideology and worldview: that he can be a Londoner,a Brit,a Muslim,from immigrant parents,liberal in his politics,but religious in his beliefs.”
Khan and Mamdani, who have spoken onyl once following Mamdani’s primary win, have strategically positioned themselves as alternatives to populist figures like Donald Trump. Khan emphasized that nativist populist leaders “hate liberal democracies. They hate progressives.They hate multicultural society.” He added that London’s success as a “really successful liberal, progressive, multicultural city” – led by a mayor elected three times who is of Islamic faith and Pakistani origin – is “a real sore” to figures like Trump.
Mamdani echoed this sentiment in his victory speech, directly addressing the former president with a defiant message: “Donald Trump, as I know you’re watching, I have four words for you – turn the volume up.” This exchange underscores a shared strategy of embracing a positive vision while simultaneously contrasting themselves with Trump’s policies and rhetoric, as highlighted in a recent Guardian report.
