Sadiq Khan dealing with ‘serious threat’ after George Galloway floats mayoral bid

Sadiq Khan has been warned he might lose the mayoral election after firebrand former MP George Galloway threatened to face towards him.

Mr Galloway admitted to the Sunday Times he contemplating an election bid subsequent 12 months, as a approach of damaging Keir Starmer.

He advised the paper: “My context would be against Starmer. Khan is a miserable cyber for Starmer”.

Mr Galloway has a report of delivering Labour bloody noses at elections, having twice received elections towards his former social gathering and nearly securing a defeat for them within the 2021 Batley and Spen by-election.

Mr Galloway received the London seat of Bethnal Green and Bow for the Respect social gathering in 2005, after which the constituency of Bradford West within the 2012 by-election.

Both constituencies have giant Muslim populations, a gaggle from whom Mr Galloway has confirmed profitable at profitable help.

Mr Galloway was significantly profitable at exploiting anti-Iraq sentiment, and will use related Labour divisions over Palestine to his benefit.

In earlier London Mayoral elections, such a menace would have meant little to Sadiq Khan, nevertheless new guidelines imply Mr Galloway might show a significant thorn for the Labour incumbent.

The Government has modified the voting system used for the mayoral election, from a two-round preference-based system to First Past the Post.

With Sadiq Khan solely a few share factors forward of the Conservatives’ Susan Hall within the polls, even a low share backing for Mr Galloway might deny Sadiq Khan the mayoralty.

Former Downing Street pollster James Johnson advised the Express: “If George Galloway runs, that is a serious threat to Sadiq Khan’s candidacy for mayor of London”.

“He’s currently only two or three points ahead of Susan Hall, the Conservative candidate, in the polls and his support is very reliant on inner London and also non-white communities in inner London.

“If he were to lose a significant amount of that support, or indeed if non-voters were to also come out and vote for another candidate in the likes of Galloway, that is only going to help one person and that is Susan Hall.

“I think this is a real threat, and if George Galloway does run the prospect of a Conservative winning mayor of London while Labour are 20 points ahead in the polls nationally is a serious prospect.”

Mr Johnson added that underneath the earlier voting system, Mr Galloway standing might properly not have mattered as his voters’ second preferences would possible have gone to Sadiq Khan.

In September, two separate polls have been printed placing Mr Khan only one and three factors forward of his Tory rival Susan Hall.