“I’m a Londoner through and through, born in east London.”
Labour MP Dawn Butler has said that she plans to stand to become the next Mayor of London should Sadiq Khan stand down.
Butler, the MP for Brent East said she would “pop my hat in the ring” should a vacancy arise.
During an episode of the Mirror’s web series Party Games, in which politicians take part in a number of light-hearted games, Ms Butler was asked if she would rather be prime minister or mayor of London.
She replied: “London mayor, to represent London. I’m a Londoner through and through, born in east London.
“Just having London the way I have experienced it and seen it and just making London wonderful for everyone and everyone being proud of London and being a Londoner… Yeah, I’d love to be a mayor of London.”
Pushed on if she’d run in the next mayoral election, Ms Butler said: “Once there’s a vacancy, I will pop my hat in the ring.”
Butler has long been reported to be in the running to replace Khan. Other contenders mentioned include Stella Creasy, Florence Eshalomi, Emily Thornberry and Rosena Allin-Khan.
There has also been speculation that Idris Elba, the actor and knife crime campaigner, and Deborah Meaden, the entrepreneur, are also interested in becoming Labour’s next mayoral candidate.
The incumbent, mayor Sadiq Khan, has not yet said whether he will run for a historic fourth term when Londoners go to the polls in 2028.
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
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