Here’s a kicker: the first London mayoral election in 2000 was won by Ken Livingstone—who ran as an independent after Labour rejected him. And do you know how many people turned up to vote? 34%. That’s it. More people decided to finish their takeaway than to pick the leader of 9 million people.
Also, until 2026, you could vote at 18 but not serve as Mayor until 21—because London decided your teenage TikTok dance phase wasn’t a proper qualification to control Transport for London. That rule’s gone now, but still—imagine a 19-year-old Mayor trying to negotiate with Sadiq Khan about the Bakerloo line extension. “Bro, just add a tunnel. It’s like a subway, innit?”
