London Mayor Sadiq Khan has offered a revealing glimpse into his perspective on New York's newly inaugurated mayor, Zohran Mamdani, during an exclusive interview with Metro. The conversation touched on their potential collaboration, shared political challenges, and even included some light-hearted banter about their personal differences.
A New Transatlantic Political Relationship
Zohran Mamdani, aged 34, recently made history by becoming the first Muslim mayor of New York City, drawing inevitable comparisons to London's own Muslim mayor, Sadiq Khan. Both leaders share left-wing ideologies focused on making their respective cities more affordable and improving public transport systems. Khan, now almost halfway through his third term as London's mayor, spoke candidly about his American counterpart.
When asked about Mamdani, Khan humorously remarked: 'Zohran is young, charismatic, good looking, so I hate him, obviously.' Despite the joking tone, Khan expressed genuine admiration for Mamdani's positive campaign approach in the face of political hostility.
Potential Collaboration on Shared Challenges
The two mayors have already established communication, with Khan confirming they've exchanged messages and are keen to work together on mutual challenges. 'We both face cost-of-living challenges, similar challenges in relation to addressing the housing crisis and we're both trying to help residents of our cities in terms of addressing those issues,' Khan explained.
When questioned about potential face-to-face meetings, Khan remained pragmatic: 'We will have to wait and see. We're both very busy being mayors of great cities.' He did, however, bestow the title of 'second greatest city in the world' upon New York, reserving the top spot for London.
Navigating Political Opposition
The conversation turned to the shared political challenges both mayors face, particularly regarding former US President Donald Trump. Trump has previously made disparaging comments about Khan, falsely claiming the London mayor wanted to introduce Sharia law in the capital.
Khan responded characteristically: 'We both have a challenge in President Trump to deal with, but I'm looking forward to seeing what we can do together. I'm a believer in collaboration rather than competition, so let's see what happens in New York.' The London mayor has previously suggested Trump has 'a crush on me' and is 'living rent-free' inside the former president's head.
Transport Initiatives and Fare Justifications
The interview occurred during the launch of Transport for London's new SL11 Superloop route, which begins service this weekend. This express bus route will replace the 472 bus, running from Abbey Wood to North Greenwich via Thamesmead in southeast London.
Khan defended London's public transport pricing amid concerns about an upcoming Tube fare increase in March. 'We have got the cheapest bus fares in the country, £1.75. But also in London you've got the hopper fares. You can change buses as many times as you want within the course of an hour,' he explained.
The mayor emphasized that these measures are particularly important for supporting lower-income Londoners during the cost-of-living crisis, noting that less affluent residents tend to rely more heavily on bus services than other transport options.
Superloop Launch Details
For the first week of operation, Londoners will be able to ride the new Superloop SL11 service for free, though they'll still need to touch in with valid Oyster or contactless cards. The route is expected to provide quicker journeys through more frequent services and fewer stops, though some passengers who previously used the 472 bus might need to adjust their travel patterns.
A complementary night bus service, N472, will operate from 12.15am to 4.45am, stopping at all the original 472 stops every 30 minutes to ensure comprehensive coverage.
Khan expressed pride in delivering on his manifesto commitment: 'In my manifesto I pledged to bring in Superloop-style express buses, while major projects like the DLR to Thamesmead are underway, and I'm proud to have delivered on this. Replacing the 472 with this faster, more direct service will help to support early regeneration plans in Thamesmead and boost transport links in a historically under-served part of London.'
The mayor acknowledged that fare freezes haven't been possible this year due to government conditions attached to a £2.2 billion support package, stating pragmatically: 'I didn't want to do it, but if we're going to invest in public transport, we've got to be grown up about working with the government.'
