Which English towns and cities elected Muslim mayors in 2024 and what parties did they represent?
Executive summary
Several English towns and cities had Muslim individuals serving as mayors in 2024, but reporting shows a mix of executive (directly elected) mayors like London’s Sadiq Khan — re-elected in May 2024 as Labour’s mayor — and largely ceremonial civic mayors appointed by councillors, such as Mohammed Asaduzzaman in Brighton & Hove (councillor-elected, not a directly elected metro mayor) [1] [2]. Fact‑checking outlets stress that social posts conflating all these roles have been misleading: not all named mayors in viral claims were Muslim, and many cited “mayors” are ceremonial civic posts rather than executive mayoralties [3].
1. Sadiq Khan — London’s executive mayor and Labour’s third‑term winner
Sadiq Khan, a practising Muslim, won a third term as London’s directly elected mayor in May 2024 and is the capital’s executive mayor with substantial powers over transport, policing and housing; he is a Labour politician [1] [4]. His re‑election was widely covered as a notable example of a high‑profile Muslim executive mayor in England’s most powerful mayoralty [1] [4].
2. Brighton & Hove — first Muslim civic mayor but a ceremonial role
Brighton & Hove appointed Mohammed Asaduzzaman as the city’s first Muslim mayor in May 2024, but this is a civic mayoralty chosen by councillors and is largely ceremonial (chairing full council and supporting charities) rather than an executive, directly elected mayor with a large policy budget [2]. Local reporting highlights the symbolic “first” and the ceremonial duties and deputy mayor succession rather than executive powers [2].
3. Other local civic mayoralties and “firsts” reported by community press
Community outlets reported several “firsts” in 2024 civic mayoralties — for example Sandwell’s first female Muslim mayor and Solihull’s appointment of Shahin Ashraf MBE — which typically refer to councillor‑appointed civic or ceremonial mayor roles rather than directly elected metro or combined authority mayors [5]. These pieces celebrate representational milestones but do not imply executive mayoral power [5].
4. Viral lists and the importance of distinguishing mayor types
Fact‑checkers including Reuters warned that viral social posts conflating executive mayors (like London’s) with civic mayors were misleading; Reuters found five of nine places mentioned in one viral post did have a Muslim mayor at the time of a May 4, 2024 post, but the post failed to distinguish between types of mayor and included incorrect claims [3]. The Reuters fact check emphasised that executive mayors hold multi‑billion‑pound budgets and broad powers, while many civic mayors are ceremonial — a distinction the viral posts obscured [3].
5. Data limits and contested narratives about political influence
Community organisations such as the Muslim Council of Britain tracked candidate engagement and urged recognition of Muslim voter influence in May 2024 polls, but available reporting shows disagreement over whether outcomes reflected organized “Islamic voting” or localized candidate dynamics; commentators on different sides framed results either as a wake‑up call to parties or as evidence of shifting loyalties over foreign policy issues such as Gaza [6] [5]. The Muslim News highlighted electoral gains for Muslim councillors and noted “firsts” in civic mayoralties, while mainstream fact‑checks cautioned about overclaiming national trends [7] [5] [3].
6. What the sources do and do not say
Available sources confirm Sadiq Khan’s 2024 re‑election as London’s Labour mayor and Brighton & Hove’s appointment of Mohammed Asaduzzaman as a civic mayor in May 2024 [1] [2]. Reuters’ fact check shows viral lists often mixed up roles and contained inaccuracies [3]. Available sources do not mention a comprehensive, authoritative list in 2024 of every English town or city that had a Muslim mayor distinguishing civic vs executive roles; therefore claims beyond the named examples should be treated cautiously and checked against local council notices [3] [2].
7. How to verify mayoral status yourself
To confirm whether a mayor is an executive, directly elected mayor or a ceremonial civic mayor, consult the local council’s website or the electoral authority: executive mayors are elected by voters for fixed terms and control budgets and services, while civic mayors are appointed by councillors and undertake ceremonial duties [3] [2]. Fact‑checking outlets recommend this step because national social posts have repeatedly conflated the two roles [3].
Limitations: reporting is fragmentary across community and national outlets; some community sources celebrate “firsts” without detailing the constitutional status of each mayoralty, and fact checks note ongoing updates and corrections to viral claims [5] [3].