Reform UK has launched its campaign to unseat Sir Sadiq Khan as London Mayor, with candidate Laila Cunningham warning that a fourth term would bring more of the same: rising crime, less visible policing, and more taxes and charges.
A poll by Savanta for Queen Mary University, London put Labour on 33% for the next mayoral contest. Reform is in second place on 20%, followed by the Conservatives on 18%, the Green Party on 14% and the Liberal Democrats on 10%. Sir Sadiq, who won a comfortable victory against the Conservatives' Susan Hall in 2024, is expected to stand for a fourth term.
Campaign launch and promises
Laila Cunningham, Reform UK's candidate for the 2028 race, said: "By 2028, the choice will be simple: Khan or Cunningham. Four more years of Sadiq Khan means more of what Londoners have already had for 12 years: rising crime, less visible policing, more taxes and charges, and a City Hall that tells Londoners what is good for them instead of listening to them."
She pledged a different approach focusing on "safer streets, more police where people can actually see them" and added that she would focus on "lower costs for drivers and businesses" and "homes that Londoners can afford". She concluded: "That is the choice in 2028: four more years of Khan’s London, or a London that works for Londoners."
Conservative reaction
Her Conservative foes branded the comments "bluster", pointing to the party's underperformance at the May local elections. Reform insiders had expected to take control of multiple councils in the capital in that set of polls, but fell short and only nabbed the reins of one.
A Conservative City Hall spokesman said: "Reform managed just 13% in the London locals and failed to meet expectations. If a named Reform mayoral candidate is only able to poll 2% ahead of an unnamed Tory candidate, we would suggest she's going to need a little bit more than creative polling to stop her coming fourth in May 2028. Still, we wish her continued success, if this is the sort she's going to be getting."
Sir Sadiq has been approached for comment.
