She was once dubbed “the one Sadiq Khan fears”. The phrase was splashed on billboards, blared from vans and echoed across social media. For a while, Susan Hall was everywhere. But it was more than just a line, it was a warning. A warning to a Mayor who had coasted for far too long knowing nobody would take a close look at what he was (or wasn’t) doing.
Her reputation as a thorn in Khan’s side was well earned. Sadiq clearly disliked her; he even left her hanging when celebrating his third term win.
Sadiq may have tried to dismiss her, but his record tells another story entirely. His mayoralty has been shaped by her opposition, whether he likes it or not. Just look at his ruling out of pay-per-mile, a policy he had supported so much it appeared in his own book.
Now Hall is back in the hot seat at City Hall, leading the opposition once again. And Londoners who care about accountability, safety, and knowing where their taxes are going should welcome it.
I had the privilege of working with Susan during her mayoral campaign. I saw first-hand her attention to detail, her deep love for the city, and her refusal to play the political games so common at City Hall. Her goal wasn’t press coverage, it wasn’t lining up for a book launch at the end of it all, it was to make London better for people like you and me.
Few people in London politics have a deeper understanding of policing. She has served on the policing committee for years. She knows what’s happening on the ground, and she has always stood up for hard-working officers trying to keep Londoners safe.
Now we have both Sadiq and a Labour Government, and things are still getting worse
She’s also been a consistent voice for Outer London, the part of the city Labour often seems to forget. During the mayoral race, the only new idea Labour offered those boroughs was painting a few buses and branding them a “Superloop”. Hall, meanwhile, was one of the first to oppose the expansion of ULEZ, and her campaign to stop Khan’s pay-per-mile tax was so effective that City Hall rolled out so-called “fact checkers” to discredit her.
One of my proudest moments was reading those fact-checkers a direct extract from Khan’s book (and playing them the audiobook, voiced by Khan himself) in which he openly supports pay-per-mile charges for drivers. Susan’s claims weren’t misleading. They were true. And the Mayor knew it.
But that’s always been the hallmark of Khan’s leadership: performance over delivery. He’s desperate to be liked by everyone, even when that means doing very little for most. Take this week, more than a year after promising “immediate action” to tackle violence against women and girls, Khan’s latest plan is to… hold a summit.
Yes, really. A summit. The photos will no doubt be brilliant. But with Susan Hall now leading the charge in City Hall, the Mayor will have to offer more than just another media moment. He’ll have to deliver something.
Let’s be clear: Khan’s record doesn’t frighten Susan Hall. But hers? It clearly terrifies him.
London is a city in need of serious opposition. Crime is rising. The cost of living is climbing. Public services are stretched. And City Hall, despite its spiralling budget, keeps offering less and less in return. Londoners were promised the earth by Sadiq last election, especially if we got a Labour Government.
Now we have both Sadiq and a Labour Government, and things are still getting worse.
Susan Hall won’t be distracted by slogans or stunts. She knows what’s broken, and she knows how to fix it. She’ll focus on the issues that matter: policing, transport, housing, local economies, not headlines and hashtags.
As Khan begins plotting his legacy (or his next job) Hall will make sure he doesn’t forget the basics. She knows that Londoners need buses that arrive on time, streets that feel safe, and policies that help them get on in life, not hold them back.
I know Susan. She hasn’t come back for our applause. She’s come back to hold power accountable. If the Mayor wants to keep spinning stories, that’s his choice. But with Susan Hall back across the chamber, he won’t get away with spin for long.
Aaron Newbury is a freelance journalist and former adviser to Susan Hall
