Reform UK has set out a radical blueprint for City Hall, pledging to transform London into "Tokyo on steroids" with an automated Tube network and AI-driven policing. The party's mayoral candidate, Laila Cunningham, argued that the capital under Sadiq Khan has become a city governed by "laborious" bureaucracy and troubled by rising street crime.
Tech-driven overhaul of public services
The former Conservative councillor and Crown Prosecution Service prosecutor said she would "embrace tech to the maximum" to reshape public services. A central proposal involves streamlining administrative tasks for the Metropolitan Police, using technology to generate reports and release officers for frontline patrols.
Ms Cunningham criticised City Hall for blocking the Met's proposed contract with data software firm Palantir, insisting that cutting paperwork is vital to doubling visible policing on the streets.
Three pillars of the platform
Her platform focuses on three key pillars across the capital: automating the London Underground to prevent transport unions from striking, using AI tools to streamline planning and accelerate housebuilding based on Hong Kong-style high-density transit developments, and cutting digital hurdles for everyday city services, including reducing the number of clicks required to pay the Congestion Charge online.
"I want London to be a safe city of the future - Tokyo on steroids," Ms Cunningham said during an interview on MyLondon's podcast, The London Brief. "AI and technology aren't necessarily going to take jobs; they make people more productive."
Political landscape ahead of 2028
The proposals come as parties begin positioning themselves ahead of the next London Mayoral election, scheduled for May 4, 2028. Ms Cunningham was unveiled early as Reform UK's candidate in January 2026, as Nigel Farage's party makes a serious push to establish a major presence in the capital.
Former Foreign Secretary Sir James Cleverly has also entered the fray, stepping down from Kemi Badenoch's Tory shadow cabinet to seek the Conservative nomination. Both are aiming to unseat Sadiq Khan, who has run the capital since 2016 and secured a third term in May 2024. With rival parties preparing their nomination processes over the coming months, the 2028 contest is shaping up to be a key battleground for London's political future.
