Mark Hamill says Londoners should vote for the Labour mayor “for a fairer, safer and greener London”, reports Noah Vickers, Local Democracy Reporter

Mark Hamill (credit Dick Thomas Johnson via Wikimedia Commons)

Sadiq Khan has won the support of Star Wars actor Mark Hamill, who said the mayor had been a driving “force” in “cleaning up London’s air” and should be re-elected in Thursday’s mayoral election.

The starry endorsement comes as more than 80 business leaders jointly announced that they were also backing the Labour mayor – though several are Labour councillors or have close links to the party.

Hamill, who played Jedi knight Luke Skywalker in the popular film franchise, posted a photo of himself with Khan on social media, saying: “I LOVE London! Lived there for years while filming and our first child was born there, in St. John’s Wood.

“I wholeheartedly support Sadiq Khan for mayor on May 2. He’s been a driving force in cleaning up London’s air and choosing #HopeOverFear

“For a fairer, safer and greener London, please vote for Sadiq Khan!”

The 83 business leaders who jointly endorsed the mayor meanwhile said he “has supported London’s businesses large and small through tough times, and is the right candidate to deliver growth in London’s economy”.

While the list of names includes several notable figures – such as Canary Wharf Group chairman Sir George Iacobescu – it also features at least four serving Labour councillors: Munsur Ali, Brendan Chilton, Paul Dimoldenberg and Ibrahim Dogus.

Also on the list are Labour Lord Sonny Leong CBE, current MP candidate Kevin Craig, former parliamentary candidate Chris Ostrowski, and Sushil Saluja, who is married to Labour MP Seema Malhotra.

Another name is Iain Anderson, a former business adviser to Boris Johnson who jumped ship from the Tories to Labour last year. He is the founder of Cicero public relations group, and has been asked by Labour to draw up a plan to bring business into the heart of government, if they win the next general election.

A poll on Wednesday meanwhile suggested that the race could have tightened in recent days, as it showed the mayor with a lead of ten points – his smallest margin yet over Tory candidate Susan Hall.

The new survey by Savanta put Khan on 42% and Hall on 32%. Liberal Democrat Rob Blackie is on 10%, Green Party candidate Zoe Garbett on 8%, and Reform UK’s Howard Cox on 3%.

The London mayoral election is tomorrow (Thursday, 2nd May), along with elections for the London Assembly.

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