Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has said he is "truly humbled" to receive a knighthood in the King's New Year Honours.
Khan is one of several public figures named in the list, including MP Emily Thornberry, TV personality Stephen Fry, and former England football team manager Gareth Southgate. He's been Mayor of London since 2016, becoming the first person to be elected for a third term in the position earlier this year, and was the first Muslim mayor of a large western city.
The New Year Honours list recognises people who have made achievements in public life, serving and helping the UK, across several categories. Khan receives his for "political and public service". It means he'll be able to use 'Sir' in front of his name.
In posts on social media, Khan said of his knighthood:
I couldn’t have dreamed when growing up on a council estate in south London that I'd one day be Mayor of London. It’s the honour of my life to serve the city I love.
Not everyone's quite so thrilled at the announcement. In early December, Matthew Goodwin-Freeman, a Conservative councillor in the borough of Harrow, launched an online petition to "stop the knighthood of Sadiq Khan", citing crime rates and the cost of living and transport in London under Khan's tenure. As of the end of 2024, it's had more than 207,000 signatures. The Express reports on other Conservative and Reform UK MPs and party members who are less than happy at Khan's nomination.
.jpg){kind=link}