Students from the School of Politics & Economics met with Sadiq Khan to ask him what life is like as Mayor of London and explore the challenges of leading a major capital city.
During the visit to City Hall, the group had an in-depth conversation with the Mayor and discussed key aspects of his role, including overseeing transport and policing in London.
The visit formed part of a module on the history and governance of London taken by MA students from across several courses in the Department of Political Economy in the Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy. Run by the department and the Strand Group at King’s, which examines the contemporary history of British government, it focuses on how London and its governance have developed since the mid-19th century.
The module uses London as a living classroom, with students also visiting Guildhall for a seminar with Catherine McGuinness, Chair of the Policy & Resources Committee at the City of London Corporation, who explained how the City works today. Other visit locations included One Canada Square, Canary Wharf, where Managing Director Howard Dawber discussed the history of east London’s Docklands; and a session at the Strand Campus with Sir Edward Lister, Chief Strategic Adviser to the Prime Minister and former Deputy Mayor of London for Policy & Planning.
MA student Victoria Coutiño Ralda said the course has helped her understand how London is governed and its prosperity created. Fellow student Mohammad Khpal welcomed the opportunity to talk to the people who are shaping London today. ‘If you read official minutes or a history book, you may not get the same sense of what really happened and how decisions are made,’ he said.