“He Needs to Go”: Petition Demanding Khan’s Resignation Over Grooming Gangs Heads to City Hall

London Mayor Sadiq Khan is facing one of the most significant political challenges of his tenure today as a petition bearing more than 40,000 signatures—formally demanding his resignation—is set to be presented at City Hall.

The petition, organized by the advocacy group CitizenGo, accuses the Mayor of a “catastrophic failure” in leadership following his repeated refusal to launch a dedicated London inquiry into grooming gangs . It will be handed over by Reform UK London Assembly Member Keith Prince, who has been tasked with formally presenting the document to the Assembly to force “urgent attention” onto the issue .

The Stonewalling That Sparked a Movement

The petition’s existence traces back to a tense exchange in January 2025, when Conservative Assembly Member Susan Hall repeatedly pressed the Mayor on whether grooming gangs were operating in the capital. During that session, Khan was asked nine times about the existence of rape gangs in London—past or present—and refused to give a direct answer, stating he was “not clear” what was being asked .

When questioners specified they were referring to the organized exploitation seen in Rotherham and Rochdale, the Mayor said he was “none the wiser” . That moment of apparent equivocation went viral and catalyzed the grassroots campaign now reaching its climax at City Hall.

“He simply refused to answer, which made me think, what’s going on here?” Hall later told GB News. “If he’d have given a proper answer and said it was a shocking thing and they were looking into it, but it was this denial” .

Keith Prince: “Complete Denial”

Speaking ahead of today’s petition delivery, Keith Prince did not mince words. He accused Khan of “pretending he didn’t have a clue” about the scale of the problem and described the Mayor’s stance as “complete denial” .

Prince argued that London—home to nearly 10 million people, roughly one-sixth of the UK’s population—cannot afford to rely solely on a forthcoming national inquiry. He insisted the capital needs its own dedicated investigation, led by the Mayor himself.

“We’ve asked him again and again and he just does not want to initiate an inquiry, and I think there should be an inquiry in London,” Prince told GB News. “Yes, there’s talk of doing one across the nation, but we know that’s not going very well. London is the largest conurbation, 10 million people live in London. Just get on with it” .

Prince went further, suggesting resignation is the appropriate course if Khan refuses to act. “The Mayor needs to know he needs to act, and if he’s not prepared to act to safeguard our children, then he needs to go” .

The Evidence Mounts

The pressure on Khan has intensified following a major BBC investigation last month, which documented in detail how vulnerable teenagers in London have been coerced into sexual exploitation by organized gangs . One victim, identified as “Milly,” described being passed between different men as a 15-year-old—sometimes 10 or 15 in a single month .

Detective Sergeant John Knox, head of the Met’s child exploitation unit covering Lambeth and Southwark, told the broadcaster that girls inside gangs occupy the “lowest rung” and “cannot say no to sex.” He estimated at least 60 children in his area alone are currently being exploited, some as young as 13 .

The findings directly contradicted Khan’s previous public position. In 2024, the Mayor had stated there was no “indication of grooming gangs” in London operating on the scale seen in northern towns .

Further complicating the Mayor’s defense are claims from former Met whistleblower Jon Wedger, who alleged he was pressured to shelve probes into 50 child abuse cases under threat of losing his “home, job and children,” with superiors warning that what he had found would “f*** the Metropolitan Police” .

A City Hall Confrontation

The issue has already sparked furious exchanges inside the London Assembly. In a late January session, Susan Hall demanded clarity on whether Khan would commit funding to a London-specific inquiry. When the Mayor appeared to look down at his papers rather than answer, Hall erupted: “Oh you’re sulking now, are you sulking? We hate it when you sulk” .

The exchange escalated further when Hall shouted, slamming her hand on the table: “You annoy me, because this is such an important bloody issue, and you will not take it seriously” .

Khan attempted to deflect, accusing his rivals of playing “party politics” on an issue too serious for gamesmanship .

The National Context

The government has announced a full statutory inquiry into grooming gangs covering England and Wales, to be chaired by former Children’s Commissioner Baroness Anne Longfield . The inquiry is expected to be formally established by the end of March, with local investigations potentially proceeding in areas where significant concerns exist .

However, critics argue that London must be specifically included in those local investigations—and that the Mayor should be proactively demanding this. A letter signed by eight Conservative MPs, including shadow home secretary Chris Philp and former party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, recently urged Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Khan to ensure London is examined as part of the national probe .

The London Assembly has also supported a motion calling for a dedicated London module within the national inquiry, as well as the formation of an Exploitation Board with £1.5 million in funding to develop prevention strategies .

The Mayor’s Defense

Khan’s office has consistently pushed back against the criticism. A spokesman reiterated that the “safety of Londoners is his top priority and nowhere is this truer than in safeguarding children” .

The Mayor points to his £15.6 million Violence and Exploitation Support Service, which provides specialist support to young Londoners vulnerable to or caught up in criminal exploitation . The Metropolitan Police has also committed to reviewing thousands of historical child sex abuse cases—approximately 12,000 spanning 15 years—as part of a national effort to identify patterns of grooming gang behavior .

Following the BBC revelations, a spokesperson shifted the Mayor’s tone slightly, stating he wanted to support police in tackling “all child sexual exploitation in the capital, including grooming gangs” .

What Happens Next

The petition with over 40,000 signatures does not automatically trigger a resignation or a formal recall process. However, its delivery to City Hall forces the issue onto the official record and amplifies political pressure ahead of the mayoral election cycle.

Keith Prince has indicated he will attempt to raise the petition during Mayor’s Question Time, though procedural rules may require alternative means of presentation . Regardless of the mechanism, the message from petitioners is clear: they believe the Mayor has failed London’s most vulnerable children.

CitizenGO UK campaigner Zuzana Revayova summarized the petitioners’ stance bluntly: “While the Mayor focuses on divisive ideological agendas, the safety of London’s most vulnerable children is being compromised. The tens of thousands of people who signed this petition are demanding accountability and real action” .

For now, Khan remains in post, and his office insists he is “committed to doing all he can to protect children in London from organised criminal and sexual exploitation and bring perpetrators to justice” . But with the national inquiry looming, new evidence emerging, and 40,000 voices demanding change, the political heat shows no sign of dissipating.