Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has unveiled former criminal prosecutor and Westminster City councillor Laila Cunningham as the party's candidate for the London mayoral election in 2028. The announcement was made at a press conference on Wednesday 7 January 2026, where Ms Cunningham outlined her platform focused on crime, taxation, and scrapping the Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez).
From Prosecutor to Political Figurehead
Laila Cunningham, a mother-of-seven and practising Muslim born in London to Egyptian parents who emigrated in the 1960s, began her political career as a Conservative councillor for Westminster City Council's Lancaster Gate ward in 2022. She defected to Reform UK in June 2025, citing a desire to fight for "lower taxes, controlled borders, and putting Britain first".
Her move to Reform came at a professional cost. As a senior crown prosecutor with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), she was bound by strict rules limiting political activity to maintain impartiality. Following a series of politically charged comments made to The Standard newspaper upon her defection, the CPS stated she had offered her resignation, which was accepted. Ms Cunningham has since said she was called to a meeting and told she may have breached the Civil Service code of conduct.
A "War on Crime" and Scrapping Ulez
Positioning herself in direct opposition to the current Labour Mayor, Sir Sadiq Khan, Ms Cunningham signalled that a crackdown on crime would be her central mission. "There will be a new sheriff in town, and I’ll be launching an all-out war on crime," she declared at the press conference.
She pledged to rewrite the London police and crime plan and give "new marching orders" to the Metropolitan Police, focusing on:
- Tackling knife crime, drugs, robbery, and shoplifting.
- Targeting, hunting, and prosecuting rape gangs.
- Prioritising "crime that matters" to Londoners.
On environmental policy, the Reform candidate was unequivocal about her stance on the Ultra Low Emission Zone. "I’d scrap Ulez, because I don’t think a war on motorists helps anyone," she stated. She was less definitive on the future of the congestion charge, telling reporters, "you will have to wait and find out".
Farage's "Significant" Electoral Test
Nigel Farage introduced Ms Cunningham as the figurehead for Reform's campaign in London ahead of the May 2026 local elections, which he described as a crucial test before the next general election. He emphasised that she had "given up a very successful, well-paid job to do this full time".
When asked about her vision of restoring London to its "glory days", Ms Cunningham referenced her own childhood, saying, "When I was growing up, I wasn’t scared to walk down the streets. I knew my local bobby." She lamented that key workers like teachers and police officers could no longer afford to live in their local communities.
Displaying confidence in the face of competition, Ms Cunningham dismissed concerns about the Conservative Party's role in the mayoral race. When asked if the Tories should stand aside for Reform, she replied, "They can do whatever they want," suggesting she did not view them as a major threat to her party's chances.
