Sadiq Khan says death threats and dealing with disasters and terror attacks left him with PTSD
20 May 2023, 19:09
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan says he has been left with PTSD after dealing with regular death threats, terror attacks and disasters.
Mr Khan has said a number of events he has faced during his time in City Hall have had a "cumulative" effect on his mental health, but stressed he wouldn't compare his experience with the disorder to the anguish suffered by others, including asylum seekers and refugees he has worked with.
He has also spoken about the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on his mental state, revealing that he felt he had "lost his mojo" during lockdown.
Such is the level of threat the former government minister faces that he described his security detail as being "the same level of protection the prime minister and the King receive".
Listen and subscribe to Unprecedented: Inside Downing Street on Global Player
Speaking to The Guardian, Mr Khan said the strains of dealing with the aftermath of the deadly Grenfell Tower fire in 2017 and terror attacks in London had also affected his mental health.
Asked if he was suffering from PTSD Mr Khan said: "without a doubt".
"One of my best friends is a doctor and we talk about it," he said. "I think the phrase is cumulative.
Read more: 'This can't go on': Phillip Schofield quits as This Morning host after spat with Holly Willoughby
"By the way, I'm not comparing what I am going through to some of the stuff people go through - as a lawyer my clients with PTSD were asylum seekers and refugees.
"I would never give equivalence to what I am going through, nor would I ever want people to feel sorry for me.
"I'm very privileged to do the job I do," adding: "By the way, if this means I'm a snowflake, so be it, right? Mental health is fragile if it's not looked after. And I shouldn't be afraid to talk about it."
Read more: Police seize 15 'American Bully XL dogs' and arrest woman after father, 37, mauled to death in Leigh
Referring to the threats he has faced, Mr Khan pointed to the attack at the Finsbury Park mosque in 2017.
Speaking of his struggles during the pandemic, Mr Khan said: "I lost my mojo. I didn't have clarity of thinking. I wasn't so sparky. I wasn't inspiring my team."
Mr Khan, who has been Mayor of the capital since 2016, seeking re-election in 2024 and told outlet that he hopes to serve six terms.
