London, Sept. 12: To quote the 1964 Bob Dylan song, The Times They Are A Changin' - certainly in the Labour Party which yesterday chose Sadiq Khan, 44, MP for the south London constituency of Tooting, as its candidate in next year's mayoral election.

This will take place on May 5, 2016, when the Tory mayor, Boris Johnson, steps down after two consecutive four-year terms in the post and earnestly takes up the quest to succeed fellow Eton contemporary David Cameron as Prime Minister.

Boris returned to the Commons in May 2015 so he is doing two jobs at the moment. Sadiq's Tory opponent in the mayoral election won't be announced until October 2 but the general expectation is that it will be Zac Goldsmith, 40, who has been Conservative MP for well-off Richmond Park and North Kingston since 2010.

Jemima Goldsmith will probably turn out to support him since Zac happens to be her young brother. She is older by a year.

Their late father, James Goldsmith, was a billionaire, so both Jemima and Zac are multi-millionaires. As things now stand, Sadiq has a very good chance of being elected mayor which will make him just about the most famous Muslim in Britain - he and his wife, Saadiya, have two daughters and he fasts during Ramazan.

"London gave me and my family huge opportunities," he pointed out. "A council house so we could save for a deposit to buy our own home. A secure job for my dad as a bus driver. A great education for me and my siblings, affordable university places and good quality apprenticeships. As mayor I will provide more opportunities for all Londoners."

However, Sadiq has refrained from bashing non-Muslims on the head with his faith.Sadiq's family originate from India, he told one newspaper. Following partition in 1947, his maternal and paternal grandparents fled to Karachi, and his mother and father were born in Pakistan.

They moved to London in the sixties. Their fourth child, Sadiq, was the first to be born in London, on October 8, 1970.

, and went on to study law at the University of North London.

Yesterday, Sadiq beat fellow Labour MP, Tessa Jowell, comprehensively by 58.9 per cent to 41.1 per cent of votes cast, though she had generally been regarded as the favourite.

Three other candidates were eliminated in a preferential voting system

where the 114,839 eligible voters were asked to rank their choices from 1 to 5.

Bookmakers William Hill immediately installed Sadiq as 8/11 favourite to be elected London mayor next May, ahead of Zac Goldsmith on 11/10. Sadiq has adopted a clever hashtag - "TogetherWeKhan" - recalling Barack Obama's "Yes, we can", for his campaign.

As Sadiq goes up against a billionaire's boy, who went to Eton until he was thrown out for possession of cannabis, he has one killer advantage - in the social value system that now obtains in contemporary Britain, he is the son of a Pakistani bus driver. He won't have to labour the point that he wasn't born with access to easy money. After eight years of Boris, the general feeling is that London, where the young are struggling to rent homes, let alone buy them, is ready for a change.

Sadiq's constituency, Tooting, is a mixed Hindu/Muslim area where Indian and Pakistani shopkeepers ply their trade side by side. In fact, during the summer months Indian and Pakistani mangoes are sold side by side. Sadiq, who is by training a human rights lawyer, has announced he will step down as MP if he becomes mayor. He was the first Muslim to be allowed to attend cabinet when he was minister of state for transport in 2009. In opposition he has held "shadow" posts as Lord Chancellor and justice secretary.

He has shown considerable skill in keeping in with Pakistanis while not annoying Indians by talking pointlessly on such issues as Kashmir. In seems likely that in the mayoral election, all Pakistanis Bangladeshis and a good many Indians will vote for Sadiq. Boris, whose wife Marina is half Sikh, would have lost in 2012 had it not been for the support of Indians, who form the biggest minority group in London.

Sadiq has conceded that balancing his faith and his role as an MP has not always been easy. Last month, he was the subject of a fatwa calling for his death after he voted in favour of same-sex marriage. "What all minorities need to recognise is today in a pluralistic society it's not just a question of tolerating others, you've got to respect others," he said. "I challenge anybody to find another country in the world which is more progressive or has laws that protect minorities more than this country."

He also said: "I speak to my cousins in Pakistan or India and they make the point that because (my family) aren't well off and don't have contacts in those countries, notwithstanding the fact that there is a Muslim majority in Pakistan, they couldn't dream of being in the cabinet or doing the stuff that I've done here, and I'm a minority in the UK both religiously and ethnically and in all sorts of ways."

He claims to be grounded: "I'm lucky to live in my own home, sleep in my own bed with my own wife, rather than someone else's. I spend time with my kids, my wife's not averse to making me put the rubbish out, my kids aren't averse to making me clean their trainers."

Speaking after yesterday's result was announced, Sadiq said: "I am deeply humbled to have received the support of tens of thousands of Londoners. I am determined to repay that trust by winning the mayoral election next May, and making a real difference to Londoners lives."

His pledges will resonate with young people who are forced to cycle partly because they cannot afford the exorbitant fares on London Transport (£4.80 for going just one stop on the underground): "My priorities for Londoners are clear. An affordable and secure home to rent or buy. More jobs with higher wages for the lowest paid. Making it easier to set up and run a successful business. Reducing the cost of commuting and making London's environment safer, healthier and less polluted."