Mayor of London Sadiq Khan sworn into House of Lords

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has taken his seat in the House of Lords, becoming Lord Khan of Tooting after being sworn in as a Labour peer. Lord Khan took the traditional oath in the upper chamber at the start of business on Tuesday, with members of his family and around a dozen London Labour MPs watching from the public gallery. Among those present were Dawn Butler, Tulip Siddiq and Rupa Huq, while Lord Khan was accompanied by former Labour leader Lord Kinnock and human rights lawyer Baroness Helena Kennedy. Lord Khan, who was elected mayor of London in 2016, has served a decade in City Hall, making him the longest-serving mayor since the creation of the post in 2000. His current term runs until 2028, although there has been speculation that he may not seek a record fourth term. He becomes a peer representing Tooting, the south London area where he was born and which he represented as an MP for 11 years. Before becoming mayor, Khan served in Gordon Brown’s government, rising to become transport minister. He entered politics after working as a solicitor specialising in human rights law. Khan took the oath alongside fellow new Labour peer Lord Roberto Neri, the director of UK Music and a former music industry executive. The two new peers were greeted with cheers after taking their oaths and shaking hands with Lord Speaker Lord Forsyth of Drumlean. Lord Khan was later seen embracing Labour leader of the Lords Baroness Smith of Basildon, her deputy Lord Collins of Highbury and former EastEnders actor Lord Cashman as he left the chamber. The peerages of both Khan and Neri were announced during the final week of Sir Keir Starmer’s time as prime minister.

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