Sadiq Khan to call for Labour unity as he sets out his stall for future leadership bid
Sadiq Khan will today call for a fractious Labour party to unite before fighting the next election, while also trumpeting his own achievements as London mayor in what is being seen as an attempt to set out his stall for a future leadership bid.
Khan is expected to say that “Labour is already making a huge difference to people’s lives in London and across the country” and that “we must focus all our energy on taking the fight to the Tories”.
The first two days of the Labour conference were consumed by factional rifts over proposed changes to how the party’s leader is elected and debates over the future direction of the party.
A modified version of Starmer’s reforms to the leadership vote passed, which will make it harder for another MP from the left of the party to be made party leader.
The mayor will use his speech to tell the party to back Starmer and his reforms.
Khan is expected to say: “If we want to build the fairer, more equal, greener future Britain deserves, we know that winning the next general election is the real prize. And to get there we must unite.”
The mayor of London will also use his speech to rattle off his achievements at City Hall, including on pollution and housing.
He will trumpet the fact he has built “more council homes have been started than at any time since 1983” and that “toxic air pollution has been cut by nearly half in central London”.
Some Labourites were claiming last night that the speech read more like an election speech, after months of suggestions that he and Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham are already jostling to be the next party leader.
One MP said “it’s no secret” that Khan wants the top job, while another said the two mayors will “inevitably” use party conference to roll the green for future leadership bids.
A source close to Khan said that the speech was only “a message to unite behind Keir”.
Khan is expected to say: “When I first became mayor five years ago, we knew we’d inherited a mess after eight years of the Tories. Working to turn things around hasn’t been easy, but I’m so proud of the incredible results we’ve achieved – showing that Labour, in power, delivers real change.”