Reform UK Picks Cunningham for 2028 London Mayoral Race

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage announced Laila Cunningham as the party's candidate for the 2028 London mayoral election during a press conference in central London this week, positioning her as a key figure in the party's push to challenge incumbent Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan. Cunningham, a Westminster City councillor and former senior Crown prosecutor, pledged to launch an "all-out war on crime" if elected, emphasizing her commitment to restoring safety in the capital.

Cunningham, who defected from the Conservative Party last year after being elected to the council in 2022, described the upcoming May 7 local elections across London's 32 boroughs as a "referendum on Sadiq Khan" and Labour's handling of the city. Speaking alongside Farage, she stated, "I love this city with all my heart, but unlike some in this room, I'm not blind to what it's become. London, one of the greatest cities on earth, is no longer safe, and that didn't happen by accident." She outlined plans to issue new directives to the Metropolitan Police, prioritizing knife crime, drugs, robbery, shoplifting, and assaults, while also targeting what she called "assault gangs." Additionally, Cunningham vowed to end...