Reform UK has unveiled former Crown Prosecution Service lawyer and Westminster councillor Laila Cunningham as its candidate to run against incumbent London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan in the 2028 mayoral race, a move that has ignited intense political debate across the capital.
At a high‑profile press event alongside party leader Nigel Farage, Cunningham framed the contest as a stark choice between her tough‑on‑crime platform and Khan’s decade of leadership, declaring that London is no longer safe and vowing to launch an “all‑out war on crime” if elected.
Her campaign pledges include scrapping the controversial Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), overhauling policing priorities to focus on violent and knife crime, and confronting what she describes as a “crime epidemic” in the capital, comments that have struck a nerve with both supporters and critics.
Critics from across the political spectrum have accused Reform UK of portraying London in an overly negative light and undermining the city’s multicultural identity, while others have pointed to scrutiny over Cunningham’s past business ties — including companies struck off for administrative lapses — as fodder for questioning her leadership credentials.
As Reform UK positions itself as a challenger to Labour dominance in London, the battle for City Hall is shaping up to be one of the most fiercely contested political showdowns in recent British history.
