Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and Labour MP Emily Thornberry have been recognised in the 2025 New Year Honours List.
Sadiq Khan, who has served three consecutive terms as the Mayor of London, received a knighthood. Khan expressed his gratitude, stating it was already “the honour of my life to serve the city I love”.
Emily Thornberry, a former senior member of Keir Starmer’s shadow cabinet, has been made a dame.
The honours list also includes notable figures from the Conservative Party. Former West Midlands mayor Andy Street and former schools minister Nick Gibb both received knighthoods. Additionally, former MPs Ranil Jayawardena, who served as environment secretary in Liz Truss’s government, and Marcus Jones, former Tory deputy chief whip, were also knighted.
This year’s list celebrates over 1,200 individuals from various industries, highlighting both well-known achievements and the contributions of “unsung heroes” in local communities.
Honours can be recommended by the prime minister, senior government ministers, or even members of the public, before being officially awarded by the King.
The honours, in descending order, include:
- GBE (Knight or Dame) - Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
- KBE or DBE (Knight or Dame) - Knight Commander or Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
- CBE - Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
- OBE - Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
- MBE - Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
Image credit: Mayor of London
