Sadiq Khan would ‘of course’ be asset to House of Lords, says new Labour peer

Lord Len Duvall said if the Mayor of London were offered a peerage he could make a positive contribution to the second chamber of Parliament

Sir Sadiq Khan could “of course” make a significant contribution to the House of Lords, a new Labour peer has said.

Lord Len Duvall, who was elevated to the second chamber by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer late last year, said he didn’t want to comment on “speculation” around the Mayor’s next moves but appeared open to sitting with his City Hall counterpart on the red benches in future.

In March reports emerged that the Mayor of London would be offered a peerage following next week’s local elections.

Labour Party sources suggested it would help bring one of Sir Keir’s most high-profile critics into the fold if Labour lose swathes of council seats in London and beyond. But allies of Sir Sadiq, a former Cabinet minister, rejected the notion that any conversations had taken place.

Sir Sadiq’s critics on the London Assembly suggested such a move would be to the detriment of Londoners as he would be forced to split his time between City Hall and the House of Lords.

But Lord Duvall said the Mayor, who was first elected by Londoners in 2016, could certainly “make a contribution” in the Lords.

It is still unknown whether Sir Sadiq will run to try and secure a record fourth term in City Hall in 2028.

“It’s speculation at the moment, and normally we don’t comment on speculation,” Lord Duvall told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

“Sadiq Khan won a third term – he has delivered for London, even if his opponents might question that. He has a solid record in terms of moving London forward – like all Mayors have done over their periods of office.

“They all bring something different to the job in many ways – I didn’t agree with Boris Johnson, but there were elements of some of his tenure where I would be supportive.

“Sadiq will decide what he wants to do and when he wants to do it and at this moment in time that’s where it is – could he make a contribution? Of course he could. Could he do other forms of work? He could do that as well.”

More Power to City Hall

Having sat on the London Assembly since its inception in 2000, Lord Duvall is no stranger to holding Mayors of all political leanings to account.

The government’s English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill – which received Royal Assent this week – will hand more powers to Mayors across the UK. But more powers need to be paired with increased scrutiny, Lord Duvall warned.

“The government has committed themselves to a renewed focus of using strategic means as a force for good in terms of many of its agendas. Good scrutiny arrangements go hand in hand with that.

“I long to hear when the executive speaks up for scrutiny, like Sadiq Khan has. I’m not sure about the rest of colleagues in the country, whatever political party they’re from, but good scrutiny is important in terms of these institutions and we need to argue for that.

“So we should see some further changes over a period of time that London will get, that will increase and make for better scrutiny.”

Last year the GLA Oversight Committee, made up of London Assembly Members, demanded more scrutiny powers, including requiring the Mayor to publish a ‘forward plan’ of key decisions and expanding summonsing powers to figures outside the GLA.

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