I Tried Asking AI Which Mayors in London Are Muslim

The factcheckers tried to tell me that none of this is true, or is missing “necessary context”

https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/viral-post-about-number-muslim-mayors-uk-is-misleading-2024-06-12/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

So, I spent some time on Chat GPT trying to track down just how many Muslims or representatives from minority groups actually are mayors in London boroughs. The result was interesting, to say the least.

The answer I got back was that not all London boroughs elect mayors—only some have directly elected mayoralties with executive powers. The four boroughs with such mayoral systems are Tower Hamlets, Newham, Hackney, and Lewisham. Croydon now also has a directly elected mayor as of 2022.

Which of These Mayors Are Muslim?

From the records:

1. Tower Hamlets – The current directly elected mayor is Lutfur Rahman, who is Muslim and was re-elected in 2022. ([turn1search17], [turn1search20])
2. Newham – The mayor is Rokhsana Fiaz, of Pakistani heritage and Muslim. She was first elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2022. ([turn1search13])
3. Lewisham – The mayor is Brenda Dacres, who is Black British, but is not Muslim. ([turn1search15])
4. Hackney – While there is a directly elected mayor, Caroline Woodley, she is not Muslim. ([turn1search10])
5. Croydon – Karim is non-Muslim as far as available information confirms.

(Comment: beautiful British name, Karim!)

It turns out that these are the only four boroughs in the whole of London that have directly-elected mayors.

All other London boroughs (the majority) are led by councils operating a leader-and-cabinet model, with a ceremonial mayor who serves in a largely symbolic capacity, typically selected annually.

When I saw that there were no names for mayors in other boroughs it got worse.

Many borough leaders and ceremonial mayors are not widely publicised or easily accessible.

It turns out that the elected council is voted in and they decide on a council and they do not have to announce who the head of Council is!

In most London boroughs, there is no elected executive mayor.

Instead: residents elect local councillors every four years. Those councillors then choose a Council Leader from among themselves (normally the leader of the majority political party). The Leader of the Council runs the borough day-to-day, appointing a cabinet from fellow councillors, a bit like a prime minister does with ministers.

• Example: In Camden, residents elect councillors → councillors elect the Council Leader → the leader runs the borough.
• Executive mayors = directly elected by residents (rare).
• Council leaders = elected by councillors, who are in turn elected by residents (most common).
• Ceremonial mayors = rotate yearly, no executive power.

Among the leaders featured in London Councils’ Leaders’ Committee, only Cllr Muhammed Butt of Brent can be reasonably considered a Muslim leader based on available context. The others—though some have names suggesting heritage from traditionally Muslim-majority communities—have not publicly confirmed their religious affiliation, and so cannot be assumed Muslim.

Thus, the number of confirmed Muslim council leaders in London boroughs currently (formally) stands at one (Cllr Butt of Brent).

 

Executive power is often concentrated in a small number of directly elected mayors or council leaders, while ceremonial mayors rotate yearly with little influence. Decisions like housing migrants in hotels, planning, or budget allocations can be imposed by central government or unelected officials (like the Home Office), which can make local democracy feel sidelined. The voting system itself (first-past-the-post, limited turnout, party control) can mean that even if the public votes, the choices are constrained.

When pressed Chat GPT concluded:

Britain has democratic institutions—elections, elected councils, Parliament—but the mechanisms of power and opacity in administration sometimes make it feel less than fully accountable, especially at the local level.

In other words: the form of democracy exists, but in practice, citizens may have limited influence over specific policies, especially when central government overrides local councils or keeps key leadership details obscure.

City of London Corporation

The City of London operates under a unique governance structure (ER: and we surely know which family has run this for a long time):

• Lord Mayor: A ceremonial figure elected annually by the Court of Aldermen.
• Policy Chair: Holds executive authority and is elected by the Court of Common Council.

This dual leadership model combines ceremonial and executive roles, reflecting the City’s distinct status within London’s local government framework.

In summary, in the majority of London boroughs:

• There is no directly elected mayor.
• Instead, the council elects a “leader” from among the councillors.
• These leaders hold real executive power, but their names and profiles are not widely publicised, especially compared with directly elected mayors. (ER: So there is a leader, but not one who can be held responsible)

This is situation is not traditionally the case.

Historically, boroughs were run by council committees, with a ceremonial mayor. The council leader was chosen internally, and decisions were often made collectively by committees rather than a single executive. Most residents’ interaction was with the council as a whole, not a strong, visible leader. Executive authority was diffuse, and there was less direct accountability to the public compared to today’s directly elected mayors.

When I asked when the new “modern” system was introduced and by whom, the answer did not surprise me in the slightest.

The Labour government under Prime Minister Tony Blair introduced the reforms as part of the Local Government Act 2000 “to improve accountability and efficiency”

I decided to ask how the mayor of Moscow (Dmitri Sobyanin) is selected.

The answer came back, The mayor of Moscow is a directly elected position. The mayor is elected by popular vote of Moscow’s residents.

The mayor is voted in for 5 years and is the chief executive of the city, overseeing the city government, budget, law enforcement, and municipal services and he appoints deputy mayors and heads of city departments. In addition, the mayor’s name and actions are widely reported in the media, making accountability and visibility much more straightforward.

To try and deflect from the contrast, Chat GPT said:

However, Moscow’s system is highly centralised, with strong control over who can stand, whereas London boroughs have a more open electoral system for candidates, even if the majority still use the council-elected leader model

The dreadful mayor (identifiably Muslim), Sadiq Khan, is a singular, clearly identifiable position, is directly elected by London residents every four years, holds strategic powers over transport, policing, housing, and city-wide planning through the Greater London Authority (GLA).

Khan is the one publicly visible figure, regularly covered in the media, and accountable to the electorate — unlike most borough leaders, who are elected by councillors rather than directly by the public, regularly covered in the media, and accountable to the electorate — unlike most borough leaders, who are elected by councillors rather than directly by the public.