Did WrestleMania win Sadiq Khan his third London mayoral election? That’s the biggest news line from his appearance on the High Performance podcast, on which titans from the worlds of sport, entertainment, and politics share their secrets for success. And Khan puts his down, at least in part, to energising younger voters in May with the pledge to bring a blockbuster wrestling event to the UK capital.
Other revelations in this hour-long chat, with hosts Jake Humphrey and Damian Hughes, veer towards the chirpy platitudes of a motivational self-help guide. Their guest – who calls himself “an optimist who worries a lot” and “an Average Joe who’s mayor of the greatest city in the world” – stresses the value of hard work, celebrates being “authentic”, and talks about knowing when to provide “followship” and when to provide “leadership”. It is, frankly, all very predictable. But you don’t win three mayoral terms by accident – not when, as Gordon Brown said (according Khan), most politicians only have a seven-year cycle. Khan, in his ninth year as mayor, knows what he’s doing by appearing on a podcast frequented by Olympic athletes and pop stars. He even says as much, pointing out how politics has changed. Door-knocking will only get you so far – you have to meet voters where they are, whether that’s on TikTok or in the High Performance armchair.
This interview took place in October, when there was still hope Kamala Harris would sweep the US election. During Donald Trump’s official visit to Britain in 2018, Khan permitted protesters to fly a 6m-high balloon of the President as an angry orange baby over parliament. “It’s personal” the London mayor sighs when asked about their feud. By this point, he’s talked passionately about reaching out to people with differing political views. So how would Khan cope with his nemesis returning to the White House? “I would love Donald Trump… to come to London,” he gushes. “Let me show him around our wonderfully diverse communities. Let me take him to a Pride march… Let me take him to a Mosque”. I suppose you don’t get more optimistic than that.
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