Idris Elba eyed as Sadiq Khan’s replacement following knife crime activism: ‘Top of our wish list!’
Actor Idris Elba has emerged as Labour’s top choice to replace Sir Sadiq Khan as London Mayor, according to a Labour insider.
The 52-year-old star, best known for playing detective John Luther in the hit BBC series, is being eyed by Labour bosses as a potential candidate for City Hall.
Elba, who was born and raised in Hackney, East London, has increasingly moved into activism alongside his acting career.
Sir Sadiq Khan, who has held the mayoral office since 2016, is expected to step down before the next election, which will likely be held in 2028.
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The Luther star has worked closely with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on initiatives to tackle knife crime and youth violence.
Last year, Elba joined Starmer at No10 as part of a drive to prevent young people from being drawn into gang violence.
A senior Labour source told The Sun: “Idris has star appeal, but he is also a thoughtful political campaigner.”
“Labour have a choice about who we choose to run in London. We can pick a Labour insider and try to make them famous. Or we can pick someone famous aligned with Labour. Idris would be at the absolute top of our wish list,” they added.
Labour insiders believe Elba’s popularity and influence could make him a formidable contender, though some acknowledge that convincing him to run would be challenging.
Other potential candidates include Labour MPs Dawn Butler, Stella Creasy and Rosena Allin-Khan, who are all reportedly eyeing the London Mayor job.
Entrepreneur and Dragons’ Den star Deborah Meaden is another name that has been tipped as a potential candidate.
Knife crime remains the main focus of Elba’s activism, with the actor leading a documentary, Idris Elba: Our Knife Crime Crisis, that explored the UK’s knife crime epidemic through interviews with young offenders, victims’ families and policymakers.
During his documentary work, he shared insights from visiting young offenders: “These young people aren’t the ‘big and scary’ figures they’re often portrayed as. They’re still developing, still trying to find their way – it’s sad.”
Elba discussed feeling “overwhelmed and angry” at the “constant flux of young people murdering each other” five years ago, which ultimately brought him to his activism journey.
He has also advocated for practical solutions to knife crime, telling BBC Radio 4: “Not all kitchen knives need to have a point on them… you can still cut your food without the point on your knife.”
Current mayor Kahn himself has faced pressure for his handling of the crime epidemic currently gripping the capital.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp MP, while speaking with GB News, accused the mayor of “chasing headlines over chasing criminals”.
He also blasted the mayor as the “worst police and crime commissioner of any of the 43 police forces across England and Wales”.
More recently, chairman of London Cab Drivers Club Grant Davis claimed that London is “unsafe”, and Khan “does not care” about the welfare of the city to The People’s Channel.