LONDON

London Mayor Sadiq Khan warned on Friday that Labour faces a difficult set of elections in May, as voters across the UK prepare to go to the polls in contests that could reshape the political landscape and test the authority of party leaders.

“Evidence tells us, and I speak from experience as a former member of parliament, when there is a Labour government, Labour councils do less well. Labour does less well in midterm elections, unfortunately, when we're in government,” he told Anadolu.

Recalling Labour’s strong performance four years ago, he added: "Four years ago in London, we won more than 60% of council seats up for grabs. We had a really good election four years ago, so I worry we may do less well."

Khan warned that voters may use the elections as a judgment on national politics rather than local performance.

“This may be because people will treat it as a referendum on how the government is doing,” he said.

“I think the government's doing a good job turning around the mess made by the previous government. 14 years of bad legacy isn't turned around in 14 months,” he said.

Khan urged voters to focus on councils themselves. “I'm hoping people will vote based upon how good or bad a council is, rather than how perfect or imperfect a government is,” he said.

The elections on May 7 will be a pivotal moment for British politics.

Local council contests in England, alongside elections to the Scottish parliament and the Welsh Senedd (parliament), will give millions of voters the chance to express their party preferences.

The outcomes could imperil both Labour and Conservative leaders.

In England, both Labour and the Conservatives risk losing dozens of councilors as their support is increasingly taken by the Liberal Democrats, Reform UK, and the Greens.

Such results are expected to be interpreted as signs that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch are struggling to convince voters.

The pressure is underlined by a YouGov poll that put Labour in third place on “a mere 17%”, only narrowly ahead of the Liberal Democrats on 16% and the Green party on 15% – a fragmented picture that underscores the volatility of the electoral terrain as May 7 approaches.

Gaza, protest, and free speech

Khan also addressed the war in Gaza, saying the focus should be on human suffering rather than language disputes.

Responding to questions about the debate in cities like New York, where definitions of antisemitism are being re-examined in relation to pro-Palestinian activism, he said: “Look, since the ceasefire, 400 Palestinians have been killed. Died in hazard. People are still dying in hazard,” he said.

“There are still wrong things happening in the West Bank. That's where I think we should be focused on raising awareness, rather than having a discussion on which words are criminal or anti-semetic,” Khan said.

He defended the right to protest, calling it central to democracy. “One of the joys of living in a democracy is we have the right to protest, we have freedom of speech, we have freedom of assembly. That's the joys of a democracy.”

Khan said criticism of Israel’s government must not slide into antisemitism.

“I think it's possible to be, you know, to unequivocally condemn what Prime Minister Netanyahu is doing in Haza and the West Bank. It's possible to criticize the policies of the Israeli army and not be anti-semitic,” he said.

Khan said he supported protests for Palestinian rights but urged restraint in how they are conducted.

“So, I would respectfully say, for those who are protesting, of course, protest,” he said. “I'm somebody who feels passionate about the rights of Palestinians and feels passionate about the importance of a two-state solution.”

But he warned against actions or language that alienate others. “I don't want my neighbors, friends and colleagues being scared because they are Jewish,” he said.

“Yes, of course, respect the criminal law, but I would say, respectfully, don't say things that cause people to be scared. You're upsetting people, and you're taken away from what you're going to be talking about, which is the importance of Netanyahu changing his policy, but also aid getting through."

Arrests for terrorism-related offenses in the UK have risen more than sixfold over the past year, driven largely by the banning of the protest group Palestine Action, according to official figures.

The data show that 1,886 people were arrested for terrorism-related activity in the year to the end of September 2025, compared with 248 in the previous year – an increase of about 660%.

Of those arrested, 1,630, or 86%, were linked to Palestine Action, which was added to the UK’s list of banned terrorist organizations in July.

Many of those arrests took place at demonstrations in London, where large protests occurred.