--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was fully aware of the challenges…" description: "\"I was fully aware of the challenges facing London before I was elected as mayor, but I didn't anticipate the issue that is likely to define my time as ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/407/sadiq-khan-3603_brexit_i-was-fully-aware-of-the-challenges-faci_2902905.jpg" --- # I was fully aware of the challenges facing London before I… ![“I was fully aware of the challenges facing London before I was elected as mayor, but I didn't anticipate the issue that is likely to define my time as mayor - Brexit.” quote by Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/407/sadiq-khan-3603_brexit_i-was-fully-aware-of-the-challenges-faci_2902905.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/407/sadiq-khan-3603_brexit_i-was-fully-aware-of-the-challenges-faci_2902905.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/407/sadiq-khan-3603_brexit_i-was-fully-aware-of-the-challenges-faci_2902905.jpg) > “I was fully aware of the challenges facing London before I was elected as mayor, but I didn't anticipate the issue that is likely to define my time as mayor - Brexit.” [Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The mayor was aware of many challenges but did not foresee Brexit as the defining issue of his term. **In simple terms:** Unexpected major political events can dominate leadership. Key Takeaway Stay adaptable to unforeseen issues. Themes politics leadership unexpected events Mood analytical pragmatic Type political advice When to use this quote - governance - public communication - strategic planning Key Concepts policy planning crisis management Questions to Reflect On - How can leaders prepare for unknown futures? - What strategies mitigate surprise challenges? A Different Perspective Brexit’s impact may be overstated. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brexit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brexit/) [Challenges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/challenges/) [Europe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/europe/) [London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/london/) [Mayor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mayor/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [People have sort of been swirling around me, going, 'Oh, you should run for mayor.' Well I didn't really want that job. 'Well, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-pinsky/people-have-sort-of-been-swirling-around-me-going-oh-you-should-run/) [Drew Pinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-pinsky/) > [I didn't anticipate the primal quality of my pleasure, the raw physicality of it, the way my whole body leaps forward when I see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/letty-cottin-pogrebin/i-didn-t-anticipate-the-primal-quality-of-my-pleasure-the-raw/) [Letty Cottin Pogrebin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/letty-cottin-pogrebin/) > [Democracy as a system has evolved into something that Thomas Jefferson didn't anticipate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/democracy-as-a-system-has-evolved-into-something-that-thomas/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [Going into Somalia, I didn't anticipate how many people's lives would be affected by it. In hindsight, I certainly wish I had taken more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-lindhout/going-into-somalia-i-didn-t-anticipate-how-many-people-s-lives-would/) [Amanda Lindhout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-lindhout/) > [People like me and Aretha Franklin and Joe Tex, we had predicted that inside of five years disco would be all over, that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-pickett/people-like-me-and-aretha-franklin-and-joe-tex-we-had-predicted-that/) [Wilson Pickett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-pickett/) > [I work with gang members, and I feel a kind of affinity and gift, even. But who would've thunk it, you know? I mean,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-boyle/i-work-with-gang-members-and-i-feel-a-kind-of-affinity-and-gift-even/) [Greg Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-boyle/) > [I had a feeling 'Star Wars' might do well, but I didn't anticipate just how well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-lawson/i-had-a-feeling-star-wars-might-do-well-but-i-didn-t-anticipate-just/) [Denis Lawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-lawson/) > [As the mayor of London, my highest priority is keeping Londoners and visitors to our city safe from harm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/as-the-mayor-of-london-my-highest-priority-is-keeping-londoners-and/) [Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/) > [I went out with the mayor. I'm adult, and that was my decision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-carpenter/i-went-out-with-the-mayor-i-m-adult-and-that-was-my-decision/) [Jennifer Carpenter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-carpenter/) > [You can be anything you want to be. You can be a street sweeper, if you want. Just be the best blasted street sweeper…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-dinkins/you-can-be-anything-you-want-to-be-you-can-be-a-street-sweeper-if-you/) [David Dinkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-dinkins/) > [I could easily say that, for quite a long time before I became mayor, I had obeyed all laws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hickenlooper/i-could-easily-say-that-for-quite-a-long-time-before-i-became-mayor-i/) [John Hickenlooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hickenlooper/) > [“A good mayor is a useful person. How can you hold back when you have the chance to do good?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/a-good-mayor-is-a-useful-person-how-can-you-hold-back-when-you-have/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Some people call me the unofficial mayor of Castro Street.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-milk/some-people-call-me-the-unofficial-mayor-of-castro-street/) [Harvey Milk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-milk/) > [“Viva my husband who was Mayor of this town”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/viva-my-husband-who-was-mayor-of-this-town/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [I love being the mayor. I want to be the mayor forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-koch/i-love-being-the-mayor-i-want-to-be-the-mayor-forever/) [Ed Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-koch/) ## More by Sadiq Khan > [I never understood how much running changes your life. I'm now obsessed. When not trying to beat my personal best, I'm talking to other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/i-never-understood-how-much-running-changes-your-life-i-m-now/) [Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/) > [I used to do stand-up, actually. I had a ten-minute routine I did for a thing called 'Stand Up for Labour' where we'd go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/i-used-to-do-stand-up-actually-i-had-a-ten-minute-routine-i-did-for-a/) [Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/) > [Vibrant political parties are vital to the health of our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/vibrant-political-parties-are-vital-to-the-health-of-our-democracy/) [Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/) > [When Pakistan beat England at cricket, my Pakistani cousins remind me how English and British I am. When they say, 'You're one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/when-pakistan-beat-england-at-cricket-my-pakistani-cousins-remind-me/) [Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/) > [Londoners, Mancunians, and Brits across the country will never, ever be cowed by terrorism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/londoners-mancunians-and-brits-across-the-country-will-never-ever-be/) [Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/) > [Victims of crime and the wider community deserve a grown-up debate on our criminal justice system and how we can make it work -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/victims-of-crime-and-the-wider-community-deserve-a-grown-up-debate-on/) [Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/) > [I see this rise in rough sleeping and homelessness - in one of the wealthiest cities in the world - as a growing source…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/i-see-this-rise-in-rough-sleeping-and-homelessness-in-one-of-the/) [Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/) > [My experience in relation to taking on the preachers of hate was saying to them it's compatible being British, being Western, being Muslim.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/my-experience-in-relation-to-taking-on-the-preachers-of-hate-was/) [Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/) > [The U.K. has some of the best protections in law for religious groups in the world. They aren't perfect, but they provide a strong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/the-u-k-has-some-of-the-best-protections-in-law-for-religious-groups/) [Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/) > [Muslims, like most other voters, don't just want 'one of their own,' they want someone who best represents their values.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/muslims-like-most-other-voters-don-t-just-want-one-of-their-own-they/) [Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/) > [London has always been open to trade, people, ideas. We have to keep that. I want to compete not just with New York, Paris,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/london-has-always-been-open-to-trade-people-ideas-we-have-to-keep/) [Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/) > [London is a great city full of amazing people from all backgrounds and when Londoners face adversity, we always pull together. We stand up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/london-is-a-great-city-full-of-amazing-people-from-all-backgrounds/) [Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/) > [Victims want to know that the true perpetrators of their crime are convicted - legal aid helps achieve this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/victims-want-to-know-that-the-true-perpetrators-of-their-crime-are/) [Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/) > [Voting, for me, has always been a family affair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/voting-for-me-has-always-been-a-family-affair/) [Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/) > [Immigrant communities have been genuinely accepted in London.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/immigrant-communities-have-been-genuinely-accepted-in-london/) [Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/) [Explore all 126 Sadiq Khan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/) ## More Brexit quotes > [No-deal Brexit could be Boris Johnson's biggest deception yet - worse than the Boris bus or the lies that had him sacked as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-davey/no-deal-brexit-could-be-boris-johnson-s-biggest-deception-yet-worse/) [Ed Davey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-davey/) > [And after Brexit, we will be free to determine our economic future, with control over our money, laws and borders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-truss/and-after-brexit-we-will-be-free-to-determine-our-economic-future/) [Liz Truss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-truss/) > [No one voted for a Brexit that will tie us to the E.U.'s customs rules and prevent us striking meaningful trade deals of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-johnson/no-one-voted-for-a-brexit-that-will-tie-us-to-the-e-u-s-customs-rules/) [Jo Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-johnson/) > [The argument that won the Brexit campaign is the one that said take back control... which is another way of saying we want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-timmermans/the-argument-that-won-the-brexit-campaign-is-the-one-that-said-take/) [Frans Timmermans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-timmermans/) > [The audience for facts, evidence and research about microtargeting, Facebook and Brexit is tiny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cummings/the-audience-for-facts-evidence-and-research-about-microtargeting/) [Dominic Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/) > [I am a passionate, pragmatic, and positive believer in Brexit, and with my three-step plan, we can decisively leave the E.U.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-leadsom/i-am-a-passionate-pragmatic-and-positive-believer-in-brexit-and-with/) [Andrea Leadsom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-leadsom/) > [The important thing with Facebook is to remember that it played a role in facilitating Brexit because it inadvertently allowed leave-supporting groups to use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nish-kumar/the-important-thing-with-facebook-is-to-remember-that-it-played-a/) [Nish Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nish-kumar/) > [Brexit has always been an impossible project, except at the price of massive self-harm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-adonis-baron-adonis/brexit-has-always-been-an-impossible-project-except-at-the-price-of/) [Andrew Adonis, Baron Adonis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-adonis-baron-adonis/) > [Whatever happens with Brexit, what I am absolutely convinced will not happen is that free movement of individuals, free movement of people, will not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-varadkar/whatever-happens-with-brexit-what-i-am-absolutely-convinced-will-not/) [Leo Varadkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-varadkar/) > [I think one of the laughable things about poor old Brexit is that they're so cross - they're furious with everyone. But this isn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-soames/i-think-one-of-the-laughable-things-about-poor-old-brexit-is-that/) [Nicholas Soames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-soames/) > [Brexit has really broken a taboo. The Brits have shown us that you can leave the European Union, and you can come out better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marine-le-pen/brexit-has-really-broken-a-taboo-the-brits-have-shown-us-that-you-can/) [Marine Le Pen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marine-le-pen/) > [People are rightly concerned about what Brexit will mean for the country, for their jobs and for their families.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kemi-badenoch/people-are-rightly-concerned-about-what-brexit-will-mean-for-the/) [Kemi Badenoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kemi-badenoch/) > [Brexit is not, thankfully, a question of war. But, like Iraq, Brexit is an act of unprovoked self-harm and a massive strategic mistake that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-adonis-baron-adonis/brexit-is-not-thankfully-a-question-of-war-but-like-iraq-brexit-is-an/) [Andrew Adonis, Baron Adonis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-adonis-baron-adonis/) > [I'll keep fighting for the best, most successful Brexit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-raab/i-ll-keep-fighting-for-the-best-most-successful-brexit/) [Dominic Raab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-raab/) > [The skills necessary to change nappies or negotiate Brexit are obviously very different, but both involve a great deal of trust in the competence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-esler/the-skills-necessary-to-change-nappies-or-negotiate-brexit-are/) [Gavin Esler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-esler/) [Browse all 412 Brexit quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brexit/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I was fully aware of the challenges facing London before I was elected as mayor, but I didn't anticipate the issue that is likely to define my time as mayor - Brexit.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sadiq Khan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/i-was-fully-aware-of-the-challenges-facing-london-before-i-was/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Brexit" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/i-was-fully-aware-of-the-challenges-facing-london-before-i-was/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/407/sadiq-khan-3603_brexit_i-was-fully-aware-of-the-challenges-faci_2902905.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/407/sadiq-khan-3603_brexit_i-was-fully-aware-of-the-challenges-faci_2902905.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/407/sadiq-khan-3603_brexit_i-was-fully-aware-of-the-challenges-faci_2902905.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I was fully aware of the challenges facing London before I was elected as mayor, but I didn't anticipate the…” — Sadiq Khan", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Sadiq Khan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I was fully aware of the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/i-was-fully-aware-of-the-challenges-facing-london-before-i-was/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/i-was-fully-aware-of-the-challenges-facing-london-before-i-was/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```