Susan Hall has returned to City Hall — and her comeback should have senior Labour figures, including Mayor Sadiq Khan, looking over their shoulders.
Once dubbed “the one Sadiq Khan fears,” Hall became a household name during the 2024 London mayoral election, standing as the Conservative challenger to Khan’s third term. Though she did not clinch the mayoralty, her campaign left an indelible mark on the political landscape. Far from fading into the background, she is now back — reinvigorated and once again leading the opposition in the London Assembly.
Khan may have brushed her off during his election night celebrations — even famously refusing to acknowledge her on stage — but her influence on City Hall policy is harder to deny. Hall was instrumental in forcing Khan to retreat on the proposed pay-per-mile road charging scheme, a policy he once championed so fervently that it featured in his own book. Her vocal and sustained pressure made it politically untenable.
Those close to Hall describe her as principled, focused, and unwavering — qualities often in short supply at the capital’s top political tables. One former campaign staffer recalls her meticulous attention to detail, her genuine concern for Londoners, and her outright refusal to play political theatre. “She didn’t run for a book deal or a headline,” they said. “She ran to make London better.”
That commitment is likely to be felt again now she’s back in the opposition hot seat. Her long-standing service on the London Assembly’s Police and Crime Committee gives her deep insight into the capital’s law enforcement challenges. Unlike the press conference platitudes and staged summits often favoured by City Hall, Hall speaks to real issues affecting real people — from rising knife crime to the everyday struggle of outer London commuters.
In many ways, she has been the voice of those in the suburbs who feel forgotten by the Labour-run City Hall. While Khan unveiled a rebranded bus route dubbed the “Superloop” as his great offering to outer boroughs, Hall was early and consistent in opposing the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) expansion, which she argued unfairly penalised working-class drivers.
And she was right to be sceptical. When City Hall attempted to discredit her warnings about a future pay-per-mile charge, Hall’s team responded with receipts — including excerpts from Khan’s own audiobook where he clearly backed the idea. In that moment, Hall did more than just win a political argument; she exposed the Mayor’s tendency to posture rather than deliver.
Indeed, performance over substance has become something of a theme under Khan’s tenure. Promises of “immediate action” to combat violence against women and girls have translated, more than a year later, into… a summit. No firm policies. No real change. Just another photo op.
With Susan Hall now holding Khan to account, such superficial gestures are unlikely to go unchallenged.
And challenge she must. London is facing serious issues: violent crime is up, housing remains unaffordable, transport reliability is patchy at best, and despite an ever-growing City Hall budget, public satisfaction is slipping. Londoners were promised results with a Labour Mayor and a Labour government. What they’ve got instead is more of the same — or worse.
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But Susan Hall doesn’t scare easily. Her focus remains steadfast: to ensure Londoners are safe, supported, and served by a City Hall that delivers. Not spin, not stunts, not soundbites — real outcomes.
As Khan begins to contemplate his legacy — or perhaps eye up the next rung on the political ladder — Hall’s presence across the chamber will serve as a persistent reminder of the job he still has to do.
She isn’t back for applause. She’s back to keep London’s leadership honest. And in a city that desperately needs accountability, her return could not have come at a better time.
Would you like a companion piece outlining Hall’s key policy positions in detail?
