London’s mayor on his experience of racism growing up, increasing diversity in the Met and the effect of lockdown on his mental health
There have only been three London mayors and the current one, Sadiq Khan, is not like either of his predecessors. He doesn’t possess Boris Johnson’s entitled flamboyance, nor Ken Livingstone’s maverick independence. And neither has he inherited their gift for generating headlines. But, having met all three men, I’d say he is easily the most genuine and likable.
A much less obviously ego-driven character than the other two, he is, at 5ft 6ins, both literally and figuratively more down to earth. Where Livingstone and Johnson won as personality candidates, Khan was framed in the 2016 mayoral election, not least by his opponent, Zac Goldsmith, as the identity candidate.
