The London mayor had been accused of a lack of integrity and openness in public office but the matter will not be taken further, reports Noah Vickers, Local Democracy Reporter

Sadiq Khan has been cleared over a complaint made against him about a deal struck by his office to promote an airline in exchange for business class seats to America.

The London mayor had been accused of a lack of integrity and openness in public office, due to the arrangements made with United Airlines for the five-day trade mission he made to the USA in May 2022.

The agreement signed by the mayor’s office – which also covered the air fares of ten members of Khan’s staff and a number of journalists who reported on the trip – stated that United Airlines would receive several “promotional opportunities” in exchange.

But it was revealed at Mayor’s Question Time today (Thursday 21st) that the complaint raised with City Hall’s monitoring officer was not being taken further.

Caroline Russell, a Green assembly member who filed the complaint, said that she had been told by the monitoring officer that “there is not a case to answer”.

She added however that a further aspect of the complaint – that the mayor failing to correctly declare the benefits of the agreement – had been informally resolved. Khan has now made a declaration of the agreement in his gifts and hospitality register.

Under the agreement, air fares for the group’s journeys to New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and back to London were covered by United Airlines. Only additional fees and taxes were payable by the mayor’s team and journalists who benefitted from the agreement.

The mayor’s office had previously said that the deal was not a “formal partnership” and that Khan “make no apologies” for “saving taxpayers money on the flights”.

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