Sadiq Khan hasn't ruled out six terms as mayor of London (Image: Getty)
Sadiq Khan has refused to rule out serving another three terms as Mayor of London, sparking an angry backlash among critics on social media.
Mr Khan was asked during an appearance on the How to Fail with Elizabeth Day podcast if he would want to stay at the helm until 2040.
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He said: "I want to carry on as long as Londoners want to lend me their vote and give me their trust, being the best mayor I can be."
The Labour politician secured a historic third term in office in May when he won 43.8 percent of the vote compared to Conservative candidate, Susan Hall, who secured 33 percent in a victory which came despite anger over the capital's Ultra Low Emission Zone and knife crime.
Mr Khan's comment sparked a backlash on social media, with X users criticising him and expressing a hope Londoners will vote him out next time. X-user Sara Brunel claimed on the platform: "The only reason Khan wants to stay 6 terms as Mayor of London is because he hasn't finished destroying it yet."
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Northern Girl simply asked: "Modest isn’t he?" Fellow X-user, Rich Cutler, said: "It won’t happen. The next round he’ll be booted out". Another X-user, tweeting from an account named Miss Jean Brodie, chimed in: "Let's hope Londoners rule it out".
Mr Khan admitted the decision to run again wouldn't be easy given the abuse he and his family have suffered since he became mayor of London in May 2016, replacing Boris Johnson at City Hall.
He told the podcast: "Hand on heart, had I known when I first began this journey what it involved for my family, I can't unequivocally say I would have done this."
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Sadiq Khan is in his third term of office as London mayor (Image: Getty)
London's mayor revealed he didn't talk about the abuse he received because he did not want to deter people from entering politics, but he decided to speak out when an associate suggested he was in danger of "gaslighting" the public into thinking "things are great... when they're not".
It emerged in the programme that Mr Khan's family now need "very intrusive" police protection, with the mayor highlighting this as one of his biggest regrets.
Mr Khan told the podcast: "That is why we have got to have the conversation. Are we saying that’s acceptable now for people, who haven’t put their head above the parapet, to get hate because of who their dad is?"
News of Mr Khan's comments come amid a public debate about politicians' safety in the wake of the attempted assassination of US presidential candidate Donald Trump.
On Monday, House of Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle said the attempt on Mr Trump's life was a "warning for us all" to make sure politicians are protected.
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Sir Lindsay Hoyle is seeking better protection for politicians (Image: Getty)
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Sir Lindsay revealed he is exploring the possibility of establishing a Speaker's conference to assess security matters for MPs and put forward recommendations. Such conferences are rarely used and are viewed as a way to find cross-party agreement on a subject.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has said ministers and officials will hold talks next week after an "alarming rise" in intimidation and abuse of political candidates during the general election campaign.
She said there had been "disgraceful scenes" in some areas in the run-up to the July 4 vote as she announced she would chair a meeting of the Government's "defending democracy" taskforce.
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It comes as the Government's adviser on political violence John Woodcock, a former Labour MP who now sits in the House of Lords as Baron Walney, said he feared it was "only a matter of time" before there is another serious attack on a politician.
Earlier this month, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood recalled how she, her family and supporters were targeted in the run-up to polling day, saying some people sought to "deny" her Muslim faith.
Walthamstow MP Stella Creasy had the window of her office smashed days before the election while Jess Phillips used her victory speech in Birmingham Yardley to speak of repeated intimidation she and campaigners faced during the campaign.
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