Sir James Cleverly, a Conservative politician and former shadow housing secretary, has signaled his intention to run for the party’s nomination in the upcoming London mayoral election, positioning himself in contrast to his rivals and addressing concerns over the capital’s safety.
Cleverly’s remarks came amid criticism directed at Reform UK’s mayoral candidate, Laila Cunningham, who has frequently described London as unsafe. Cunningham recently stated that her children were “petrified” to visit Shepherd’s Bush following a stabbing incident, and she has previously claimed there are “no safe parts” of the city. When asked about these statements, Cleverly declined to engage directly, instead calling on Cunningham to justify her comments herself.
The Conservative hopeful placed responsibility for London’s crime rates squarely on the shoulders of the incumbent mayor, Sir Sadiq Khan, noting that the capital’s performance on crime had been “an outlier” compared with the rest of the United Kingdom during Khan’s tenure. At the same time, Cleverly criticized those who characterize London as a city plagued by crime, asserting that a candidate “cannot credibly stand for election to run London while obviously hating the city.” He affirmed his own affection for London, stating, “I love London. I’m unapologetic about that.”
Responding to Cleverly’s comments, a spokesperson for Reform UK accused him of being out of touch with the city’s reality, saying, “If James Cleverly thinks that crime is not an issue in London then he’s even more out of touch than we originally thought.” The spokesperson emphasized that London needs a mayor who understands and confronts the challenges the city faces.
Despite the attention on Reform UK’s campaign, Cleverly maintained that the mayoral race remains primarily a contest between the Conservative and Labour parties. He dismissed Reform UK’s influence by saying, “We can all see that Reform is well past their peak.”
Cleverly also criticized Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, a prominent Labour figure, accusing him of treating London as a “cash cow” by removing substantial funding from London borough councils. He suggested Burnham’s approach could benefit his campaign, arguing that Londoners would view Labour’s handling of the capital’s finances unfavorably.
Having previously competed unsuccessfully against Kemi Badenoch for the Conservative leadership in 2024, Cleverly framed winning the London mayoralty as a crucial step toward supporting Badenoch’s bid to become prime minister. While he has announced his intention to seek the Conservative nomination, he has not yet been formally selected.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has expressed her desire to choose the strongest possible candidate to challenge Labour’s eventual nominee—whether that be Sir Sadiq Khan or another contender—and has invited other interested candidates to come forward.