On his third day in office, London Mayor Sadiq Khan responded to a 70,000 strong Change.org petition asking for a statue of a suffragette to be placed in Parliament Square by 2018 – a century after women got the vote.

A response to the petition on Change.org, from City Hall said: “The Mayor has said he will be a proud feminist in City Hall and is committed to breaking down barriers to success for women and full gender equality.

“He believes that the Suffragette movement was a key milestone towards achieving this goal, which should be commemorated.

Feminist: London Mayor, Sadiq Khan ‘committed to breaking down barriers to success for women’

“There are of course certain practical issues to consider, but he is keen to explore a suitable high-profile site for a statue, whether this is in Parliament Square, or another high-profile, appropriate location in central London”

Caroline Criado-Perez, who started the petition, told Telegraph Women that her campaign would continue until Khan made a concrete decision.

She said: “I’m absolutely delighted that Sadiq Khan has taken the time to respond to our petition in his first few days in office. it sends out a great message about the kind of Mayor he intends to be.

Delighted: Caroline Criado-Perez is encouraged by the Mayor’s response to her campaign

“However, I hope in the days to come he will commit to the Parliament Square location specifically (planning permitting), because of its historical and symbolic significance, and because the central issue is that all of the statues there are men”.

An open letter penned by petition starter Caroline Criado-Perez was signed by a handful of celebrities including Emma Watson, Naomi Harris and Sandi Toksvig – as well as MPs, businesswoman and baronesses.

To read more about this campaign, and for photos, embeddable video and more quotes, visit https://www.change.org/p/david-cameron-mp-david-cameron-fight-corruption-insist-uk-tax-havens-reveal-company-owners or contact press.uk@change.org