Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, sweeps into an Islington studio with the energetic charm of a seasoned politician, and speaks accordingly. Andy Street, who was managing director of John Lewis for nine years before standing for mayor of the West Midlands, is more self-contained, with a dry sense of humour. Their roles have different histories, too. Khan is London’s third mayor, following Ken Livingstone and Boris Johnson, whereas Street’s mayoral constituency, which extends from Wolverhampton to Coventry, is only five years old. Street belongs to the governing party while Khan is aligned with the opposition, but the two men, who both won a second term last year, have an independent spirit that does not always delight their party leaders. Since 2017, they have become friends and collaborators.
Andy Street The first time I met this chap was when he was standing to be mayor. He’d had his first Saturday job in Peter Jones [a west London branch of the John Lewis Partnership] and wanted to come back to the store and tell the story. He has a great eye for the media, as we all know.
Sadiq Khan Andy’s not a party politician first and foremost. I think it comes from the John Lewis training. You’re not a pugilist; you’re a pragmatist. You do business.
AS Well, the thing about John Lewis is that it is a democracy. You’re accountable to your employees. It does get you into the habit of explaining what you’re doing and why it’s in the interests of your team.
