Lording it! Sadiq Khan officially joins the Upper House... where he can pocket £390 a day tax-free on top of £170k London mayor salary

See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Published: 09:46 EDT, 15 September 2026 | Updated: 10:20 EDT, 15 September 2026 Sadiq Khan has officially joined the House of Lords amid a backlash at his 'double-jobbing'.The London Mayor was introduced as Lord Khan of Tooting in a traditional ceremony this afternoon. Wearing an ermine robe and with his left arm seemingly in a sling, the new peer took an oath to the King before signing the official register.Lord Khan was elevated to the peerage by Keir Starmer in one of his last acts as PM.But there is anger at the prospect he could benefit from a loophole in rules over his remuneration. The London Mayor was introduced as Lord Khan of Tooting in a traditional ceremony this afternoonLord Khan would see his £170,000 mayoral pay slashed by two-thirds if he took a salary in the Commons or the Lords.However, he can claim the £390 tax-free daily allowance for attending sittings of the Upper House - including today - without any reduction in his other pay.With the chamber typically sitting for around 150 days a year, that could mean boosting his income by £58,500. As the extra cash is not subject to tax or national insurance, he would need to be on a salary of roughly £280,000 to take home the equivalent of his allowances and mayoral pay combined.In contrast, the Prime Minister's salary - including pay as an MP - is just over £174,000. A spokesman for Lord Khan previously did not deny that he would claim the per diem allowance.'The Mayor's time will still be devoted to carrying out his role as Mayor of London, including attending all the same meetings and events as he does now, and fulfilling all of his duties as Mayor,' the spokesman said. 'He will continue to devote the same time and energy building a fairer, safer and greener city for every Londoner.' Wearing an ermine robe and with his left arm seemingly in a sling, the new peer took an oath to the King before signing the official registerAides did not respond when asked whether he would be taking the per diem for attending today. About a dozen London Labour MPs, including Dawn Butler, Tulip Siddiq and Rupa Huq watched on from the bar of the Lords along with members of Lord Khan's family. Lord Khan has made clear he does not want to be a Government minister. He has yet to decide whether to run for an unprecedented fourth term in City Hall in 2028. There have been rumours that Andy Burnham is planning to put other mayors into the House of Lords to bolster their power. Tory Tees Valley mayor Lord Houchen has claimed the per diem allowance, but his salary is far lower at £65,000.