1 godzina temu
Labour needs to "really pick things up" after a "tough" first year in government, Sir Sadiq Khan has warned. The London Mayor delivered a frank assessment of his party's performance since winning power in July 2024, speaking at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Khan insisted Labour supporters would be "delusional" if they failed to recognise the difficulties the party has faced. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (Labour) has seen Labour's popularity slump in polls amid criticism over issues including welfare reforms, marking the party's first time in power since 2010.
Khan's frank assessment
"It's been a tough first year," Khan conceded, arguing that supporters "need to have the humility to recognise" that "otherwise we are being delusional". He criticised those who claimed otherwise, saying: "Those people that say it has been a great first year… I think they are letting the party down."
Khan acknowledged some achievements but remained critical overall. "It hasn't been a great first year. There have been great things that have happened in this first year, around the rights for renters, around the rights for workers, around energy security, and I could go on," he said. However, he maintained: "But as first years go, it has not been a great first year."
The London Mayor, who was one of Labour's most powerful politicians before Starmer became Prime Minister, offered hope for the future. He emphasised the "good news" that his party has "got another four years to make sure we turn this around."
Football comparison
Drawing on his support for Liverpool FC, Khan used a football analogy to describe Labour's position. He said the party was "two-nil down" but stressed that only 15 or 20 minutes of the match had passed, with time remaining to "win this game."
"It is really important now we really pick things up because I think we are two-nil down," Khan explained. "But the great news is we have turned it round before, we have won games before where we're two nil down, we can do it again."
Voter trust and government performance
Khan acknowledged that many voters had "lent us their vote" rather than enthusiastically backing Labour. "They didn't sprint toward Labour at the ballot box, they lent us their vote, gave us the benefit of the doubt," he said.
After over a decade out of power, Khan suggested the party had "lost the memory of running things." He explained: "It has taken some time for the Labour Party, the Labour Government, to understand how the machinery of government works."
Despite his criticisms, Khan expressed confidence in the government's potential. "There are some really, really good people in the cabinet, there is a good back office team as well. So I have got confidence we will turn it round," he said.
Khan praised the current team whilst acknowledging room for improvement. "With Keir and the team we've got in Number 10, and across Whitehall, Westminster, we've got a great team," he said. "They are not performing to the level I know they can perform at. I'm not being critical of them, I think they themselves would admit they can do much more."
He concluded optimistically: "So I am hoping the next three, four years you will really see the best of this government."
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
