By Michael Sercan Daventry
LONDON (AA) – London’s first Muslim mayor on Saturday said he hoped his election victory would inspire other Muslims to enter politics, local media reported.
Speaking the day after he was confirmed as mayor, Sadiq Khan told broadcaster Sky News he hoped the result “encourages young people to get involved in mainstream politics, encourages Londoners of Islamic faith and other minority communities, encourages British Muslims and others to get involved in civic society and get involved in mainstream politics.”
Khan, the Labour Party candidate, won 56.8 percent of ballots, or 1.3 million votes, against Conservative rival Zac Goldsmith’s 43.2 percent.
The result was the largest mandate for a sole candidate in British electoral history after a campaign marked by attempts to link Khan to extremists.
“The decency of Londoners, the decency of British people, will always cut through,” he said at a swearing-in ceremony at Southwark Cathedral in south London.
Khan, the son of Pakistani immigrants, promised to be a “mayor for all Londoners” and said he wanted to preside over the “most transparent, honest and accessible administration London has ever seen.”
The new mayor received congratulations from around the world.
U.S. presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton tweeted: “Son of a Pakistani bus driver, champion of workers’ rights and human rights, and now Mayor of London. Congrats, @SadiqKhan”.
French Prime Minister Manuel Valls posted: “Congratulations @SadiqKhan on your outstanding victory in London. Looking forward to welcoming you in France.”
Khan, a former human rights lawyer, became Britain’s first Muslim Cabinet minister in 2009 under Gordon Brown. He said he will step down from parliament after succeeding Conservative Boris Johnson as mayor.
