One of the big news stories in the world of politics this week has been Rishi Sunak’s success in passing his Safety of Rwanda Bill through parliament. After months of parliamentary ping pong, peers in the House of Lords conceded on some of their final proposed changes, and now the bill will be passed into law.

Then, we have the local elections happening a week today. As I write this, I’ve just had Labour campaigners knock on my door to remind me of polling day on 2 May – the election firmly on many of our minds. Ahead of polling day, I talked to Sadiq Khan, the current mayor of London, about running for a record third term as mayor and what his potential re-election would mean for Londoners.

What’s the most pressing issue for women right now and what are you doing about it?

“Every three days, a woman is killed at the hands of a man. The safety of women is the most pressing issue facing women right now across our country, and that includes London. There’s an epidemic of violence against women and girls across our country. So in London, we’ve been doing a huge amount to address this: investing in record sums in relation to supporting victims and survivors, tackling perpetrators and educating younger people.

Recently, I published a 10-point action plan to address violence against women and girls, treating it as a public health issue. What do you do if there’s an infection? Stop it from spreading but also from happening in the first place, which is how I want to tackle this form of violence. The plan starts with educating young students in schools and goes up to tackling perpetrators with GPS tagging, stalking units and more police – as well as providing survivors with free legal advice. We need a ‘whole system’ approach if we’re going to root out violence against women and girls.”

What’s the one thing you want to achieve in your role?

“Well, I benefited from politics, going from a councillor to being mayor of the greatest city in the world. It’s all about the London promise. If you work hard, you can achieve anything. But for too many Londoners, they work hard and there’s no helping hand. I’m really proud of the work we’ve done so far to give more people this helping hand.

Helping mums who’ve just given birth by providing baby banks. Helping primary school kids by giving them a free nutritious meal and investing in youth clubs. And a helping hand to people who need training to get a decent job in our city and support them with decent and affordable homes. So, that’s my ambition. That’s what I want to achieve for the people of London.”

What’s been your most memorable day in politics so far?

“Oh, there have been loads. One particular day that springs to mind is when I got to visit a school in Lewisham, seven months ago. I had the opportunity to meet some of the children benefiting from a free school meal and some of the staff members talked to me about the difference this initiative was making – how the kids were able to focus more in the classroom. The students loved the fact they could sit with their friends and eat their lunch together. It’s an initiative that works for everyone and it’s why I’m making this initiative a permanent one for primary school students.”

How do people react when you tell them you’re a politician?

“I’ve been a politician. A councillor. A member of parliament. The first response I often get is that I don’t look or sound like a politician. It’s interesting because I suppose people expect politicians to be posh white blokes. And because that isn’t who I am, it catches many by surprise. People may not expect politicians to use the Tube, be in the school playground or local shops or a place of worship. So, I think it surprises them.”

“I always aim to under promise and over deliver”: London mayor Sadiq Khan on running for a third term in office