From paperboy to mayor: the Sadiq story

He describes himself as "a Londoner", "a father", "a Muslim", "a FabianThe Fabian Society aims to promote socialism and support the Labour Party in the UK. Since its founding in 1884, it has had a huge influence on British politics." and "a long-suffering Liverpool fan". To those labels, Sadiq Khan can now add another: mayor of London. Khan's victory in last week's election made all kinds of history. It was Labour's greatest electoral victory since 2005. His 1.3m votes gave him the largest personal mandate ever enjoyed by a British politician. And he is now the most powerful Muslim politician in the West. Not bad for a bus driver's son from TootingA district in South London with large Indian and Pakistani communities. Its high street is built on what was once a Roman road running from London to Chichester. In Norman times it was owned by the De Gravenel family and known as Tooting Graveney.. Indeed, Khan's upbringing is hardly typical among politicians. Born to PakistaniFrom Pakistan, a country in South Asia with a population of 242 million, making it the fifth-most populated country. immigrants, he grew up with his seven siblings in a cramped council flat. In his spare time, he worked as a paperboy and on building sites. He learned to box, and often used his skills on bullies who hurled racist abuse at his family. Noticing his combative personality, a teacher suggested that Khan study law. Inspired, he trained as a solicitorA type of lawyer in the UK who is trained to prepare legal cases, give advice and can represent people in some courts., and ended up specialising in human rights. His clients includedn Babar Ahmad, who stood accused of providing material support to terrorists. In 2005, Khan was elected MPMember of Parliament. There are 650 MPs representing people in different areas of the UK. for his home constituencyAn area whose voters elect a person to represent them. of Tooting. In Parliament, he made a name for himself as a talented campaigner. He masterminded Ed MilibandThe British Labour party leader from 2010 to 2015.'s shock victory in 2010's Labour leadership contest. As shadow London minister, he guided the party to a strong performance in the capital in last year's general election. Now, three decades after taking on racist bullies in the schoolyard, Khan has won his biggest fight. On Thursday, he trounced his ConservativeHolding traditional values, and in a political context, favouring policies such as private ownership. rival Zac Goldsmith, the EtonOne of the UK's most well-known fee-paying schools for boys. It is known for educating prime ministers, royals and the aristocracy. -educated son of a billionaire businessman. Ironically, Khan's humble background may have actually helped him on his way ton City Hall: early on in the campaign, his team decided that his rags-to-riches story would go down well with voters, and mentioned it at every turn. Is this what won him the election? His story is inspiring, admit some. More important, though, are his political brains. Khan identified Londoners' main concerns — transport, housing — and addressed them with clear, popular policies: the fare freeze, the "London living rent" (see Q&A). He skilfully positioned himself as a centrist, embracing business and denouncing Islamic extremism. "Labour has to be a big tent," he said. His victory proves that this approach works. True, Khan's policies were appealing, reply others. But look at how they were presented. On his election leaflets, they were always linked back to his life story: e.g. "The council estate boy who'll fix the Tory housing crisis." His rags-to-riches tale gives him credibility in an age when most politicians just go from riches to more riches. Therein lies his success. Q & A I'm a Londoner. What's going to change? Quite a lot, if Khan's promises are to be believed. The mayor's main policies address public transport and housing. He has vowed to freeze transport fares throughout his four-year term. Low-income tenants stand to win: a "living rent" will ensure that they spend no more than a third of their salary on rent. Londoners and first-time buyers will get first dibs on new homes - tough luck, landlords. I'm not a Londoner. Why should I care? Because Khan's election is also symbolically important. At a time when the likes of Donald Trump and Daesh (Islamic State) are stoking ethnic and religious divides, it's heart-warming to see a city that is only one-eighth Muslim elect a Muslim mayor. This show of tolerance sets an example for the country — and the world.KeywordsFabian - The Fabian Society aims to promote socialism and support the Labour Party in the UK. Since its founding in 1884, it has had a huge influence on British politics.