New polling data reveals that a majority of Londoners want Mayor Sadiq Khan to step down ahead of the next mayoral election, citing widespread failures across multiple policy areas.
According to a YouGov poll conducted in early 2024, 56 percent of Londoners believe Khan should resign as mayor before the 2028 election. This group includes 31 percent of voters who supported Khan in the most recent mayoral contest held in 2024. The survey also found that 55 percent of respondents consider London to have become a worse place to live since Khan became mayor in 2016.
The poll highlights significant dissatisfaction with Khan’s leadership: 66 percent believe he has handled housing “badly,” compared to just 17 percent who feel the Mayor is managing it well. Additionally, 76 percent report that affordability has worsened in London over the past decade, while only five percent say it has improved.
Furthermore, 69 percent of Londoners state that the city’s economy has deteriorated under Khan’s leadership. The poll also shows that 62 percent believe homelessness has increased, and another 62 percent report declining high streets and public spaces. Fifty-eight percent indicate rising crime rates during his tenure.
Matthew Smith, a YouGov data journalist, noted: “Only 24% of [Londoners] think [Khan] should run for a fourth term as Mayor of London.”
The findings resonate with President Donald J. Trump’s repeated criticisms of Khan, who described him as “a disaster” and accused him of having “a totally different ideology to what he’s supposed to have.” Trump previously labeled Khan “a nasty person,” saying in July 2023: “I’m not a fan of your mayor.”
Khan has been elected mayor three times: first in 2016, then again in 2021, and most recently in 2024.
