Reform UK's London mayoral candidate has criticised Nigel Farage's 'mass deportation' election pitch, warning that the party's extreme language on migration hindered its performance in the capital.
Missed Targets in London
Speaking exclusively to The Independent, Laila Cunningham argued that talk of 'mass deportations' played into the hands of opponents, allowing them to label Reform as 'racial or divisive'. Despite sweeping gains across England, with over 1,400 council seats won, Reform failed to secure expected victories in London. Before Thursday's elections, Farage boasted of a 'very real chance' of winning half a dozen boroughs. However, aside from taking control of Havering on the Essex border, the party fell short in targets including Bexley, Barking and Dagenham, and Bromley. Waltham Forest went Green, Labour retained Redbridge, and Reform performed poorly in west, north, and central London.
Impact of Controversial Candidates
The Independent revealed that in Bexley and Waltham Forest, Reform's hopes were further damaged by fielding candidates who had made racist and Islamophobic comments on social media. These victories were intended to position Cunningham as the main challenger to Labour's Sir Sadiq Khan in the 2028 mayoral election.
Cunningham's Critique
Cunningham reflected that Labour and the Greens successfully capitalised on the immigration debate, painting Reform as racist. Just before the elections, Reform's home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf unveiled a 'mass deportations' policy, which appeared to spook capital voters. Cunningham stated: 'When we talk about mass deportation, it's illegal migrants and perhaps we have to be more clear about that because mass deportation does have some connotation, doesn't it?' She added: 'I think the opposition parties [Labour and the Greens] have done very well in not arguing our substantive policy, but just labeling us as racial or divisive. That has landed, sadly.'
A Personal Perspective
Cunningham, the daughter of immigrants, described confronting voter concerns while canvassing. 'I knock on someone's door and they're like, 'your mom's Egyptian, how come you're running for Reform? You're a sellout.' And then I explain actually, it's not about that. It's about fairness. It's about illegal migration. My parents came to contribute, integrate and assimilate, and that's all we want. And then that message lands.' She accused Labour and the Greens of dividing voters along religious and ethnic lines, telling ethnic groups they are victims and fostering support by 'instilling hate in the country'. She concluded: 'There's nuance in politics.'
