Which Muslim mayors elected in England in 2024 were first-time mayors versus incumbents?
Executive summary
Across the 2024 English mayoral cycle, Sadiq Khan was re-elected in London as an incumbent and thus not a first-time mayor; several other places cited in viral claims did not in fact have Muslim elected executive mayors at that time, and Reuters found that five of nine named towns had a Muslim mayor role in some form but most claims conflated different mayor types (executive vs civic) [1]. Specific lists of which Muslim mayors were first-time executives versus incumbents are not fully enumerated in the available reporting; Reuters emphasises the distinction between types of mayors and that many of the viral assertions were misleading [1].
1. The core factual split: executive mayors versus civic mayors
Coverage of the 2024 mayoral contests warns that a single label “mayor” covers at least two distinct offices in England: directly elected executive mayors (with budgets and executive powers) and largely ceremonial civic or “lord mayor” roles appointed by councillors; many social posts and some reporting conflated those categories when claiming where Muslim mayors were serving [1]. Reuters specifically found the viral post mixed the two types and rated the claim misleading in part because of that conflation [1].
2. Sadiq Khan — incumbent re-elected in London
Sadiq Khan won a third term as London mayor in 2024; he is an incumbent and therefore not a first-time mayor in that election cycle [2]. Reporting framed his victory as bucking wider trends of Muslim voter volatility in that year’s local and mayoral contests [2].
3. What Reuters actually checked and what it did not find
Reuters investigated a viral claim listing nine named cities and concluded the post was “misleading, partly false,” after contacting the offices of the named mayors; Reuters said some of the named places did have Muslim mayors in a civic sense, but none of the executive mayors in that list all identified as Muslim when Reuters made enquiries, and the West Midlands mayor’s office did not respond [1]. That means the simple binary question — “which Muslim mayors elected in 2024 were first-time mayors versus incumbents?” — cannot be answered solely by the viral list because Reuters warns the list is inaccurate and incomplete [1].
4. Local examples the reporting does mention: civic firsts and ceremony
Local reporting recorded some notable civic firsts: Brighton & Hove councillors elected Mohammed Asaduzzaman as their city’s first Muslim mayor in a largely ceremonial post in May 2024 — that is a council-appointed civic mayor rather than a directly elected executive mayor [3]. Reuters’ fact-checking and other analyses underline that such civic mayoralties are different in power and election method from the directly elected executive mayors often discussed in national posts [1] [3].
5. Broader political context: Muslim voter volatility and narratives
Analysts and party figures placed the mayoral results inside a broader pattern of shifting Muslim voter behaviour in 2024, driven partly by foreign policy issues such as Gaza; some Labour-held mayoralties and council areas saw reduced support from Muslim voters even as Khan retained strong backing in London [2] [4] [5]. This political context helps explain why online claims about the number of Muslim mayors gained traction and why fact-checkers treated the topic as politically sensitive [2] [5].
6. What the available sources do not provide
Available sources do not list a definitive roster of every Muslim mayor elected in England in 2024 broken down by “first-time elected executive mayor” versus “incumbent executive mayor.” Reuters checked the viral list and found it misleading, and local outlets reported some civic firsts [1] [3], but a comprehensive, source-backed table answering your exact binary question is not present in the supplied reporting. Therefore a precise catalogue cannot be produced from these sources alone — further local election returns or council press releases would be required.
7. How to get a definitive answer and why it matters
To resolve who among 2024’s Muslim mayors were first-time executives versus incumbents, consult official declaration of result notices from each mayoral area or the returning officers’ statements, and cross-check whether the mayoralty is a directly elected executive role or a civic appointment — Reuters’ fact-check shows that distinction is essential [1]. That clarity matters because conflating roles inflates perceptions of political power and feeds misleading narratives about representation [1].
Limitations: this analysis uses only the provided reporting; specific lists of first-time versus incumbent Muslim executive mayors in England for 2024 are not contained in those sources [1] [3].