Sadiq Khan

Transport for London announced that from January 2026 the Congestion Charge would rise from £15 to £18 and electric vehicles would no longer receive a full exemption, but only limited discounts. Motoring organisations criticised the measure as making the switch to electric vehicles less attractive and increasing costs.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

The Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime blocked a £50 million contract between the Metropolitan Police and Palantir for an intelligence analysis platform. City Hall cited serious procedural problems, including allegations that the Met had only seriously considered one supplier and had not demonstrated value for money. Palantir brought legal proceedings against MOPAC.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Command responsibility

Following the government's announcement on 10 September 2026 giving English mayors the power to introduce an overnight visitor levy, Khan supported the principle of a London charge and indicated that he wanted to cap it at 5%. The hospitality sector strongly opposed the scheme, citing risks of more expensive stays, job losses and reduced activity.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Khan was convicted in his absence under the expedited Single Justice Procedure for allegedly keeping an untaxed vehicle, a 24-year-old Nissan Micra. City Hall immediately stated that he did not own the car and that it had been fraudulently registered in his name. Following a review, the DVLA withdrew the case and opened an investigation into the false registration.

Role of the person profiled

Protagonist is the victim

Khan maintained and advanced the Silvertown Tunnel project in east London. Environmental organisations warned as early as 2016 of a risk of increased traffic and pollution; the controversy persisted until the tunnel opened in 2025.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Affordable housing construction in London slowed sharply following the inflationary peak and higher financing costs. Housing associations and the government warned of a fall in starts, while a government-commissioned review accused certain elements of the London Plan of hindering development on brownfield sites.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Faced with the collapse in new construction, City Hall proposed temporarily reducing from 35% to 20% the affordable housing share required for certain schemes to access a fast-track process. Labour MPs and housing organisations warned that the measure risked permanently reducing affordable housing supply.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

A mayoral office press release dated 20 July 2023 claimed that knife crime had fallen since 2016. The Office for Statistics Regulation examined the source and concluded that the claim was incorrect for knife offences overall: it was true only for knife crime with injury among under-25s; the overall total had instead increased significantly.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Five local authorities challenged Khan's ULEZ expansion in the High Court, citing issues including legal powers and consultation. In July 2023, the High Court dismissed the challenge and upheld the lawfulness of the decision.

State of the evidence

Established by a court

Attribution

Directly implicated

In the July 2023 Uxbridge and South Ruislip by-election, Labour narrowly failed to take the seat from the Conservatives. The anti-ULEZ campaign was widely identified as a major factor, prompting Keir Starmer to publicly ask Khan to "reflect" on the policy.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

After Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick announced her departure, a review led by Tom Winsor concluded that she had been placed under pressure and that Khan had not followed due process before withdrawing his confidence in her. The report criticised the way the mayor had exercised his influence over the situation.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Before the ULEZ was extended across Greater London, 57 937 responses were received to the consultation. The decision document stated that 59% of respondents believed the proposal under consultation should not be implemented; Khan nevertheless decided to proceed, with mitigating measures.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

The collapse in passenger numbers during the pandemic caused a cash-flow crisis at Transport for London and led to a rescue agreement with the government. Against this background, the Congestion Charge was raised to £15 and its operating hours extended, triggering a political dispute over responsibility for the measures.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Khan and Donald Trump repeatedly clashed publicly over terrorism, immigration and the US president's state visit. In 2018, the London administration authorised a giant balloon caricaturing Trump to fly near Parliament, a decision that became emblematic of the dispute.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

During a visit to New York in 2016, Khan stated that being prepared for terrorist attacks was "part and parcel of living in a great global city". Opponents took the remark out of context and presented it as a fatalistic acceptance of terrorism.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Personally implicated

During his career as a human rights lawyer, Sadiq Khan helped represent Louis Farrakhan in a challenge to his exclusion from the United Kingdom. During the 2016 mayoral campaign, Conservatives incorporated this episode and other public appearances into an offensive accusing Khan of having been too close to extremists.

A video of a 2009 interview on Press TV resurfaced during the 2016 campaign: Khan had described Muslims who attended an event with Prime Minister Gordon Brown as "Uncle Toms". The phrase was condemned as a racial insult directed at those whose position he opposed.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Personally implicated

The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards examined Khan's declarations of interests and identified several registrations made beyond the 28-day deadline. The analysis notably identified a substantial number of late declarations, including 19 since May 2015, constituting a breach of timely disclosure obligations.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated