Reform UK candidate Laila Cunningham has officially launched her campaign for London Mayor. She previously served as a Westminster City councillor and resigned from her role as a CPS prosecutor.
Cunningham stepped down after making outspoken political comments while still employed as a civil servant last summer. At the time, she criticised a lack of police officers in London, calling it a “dereliction of duty.”
She also predicted a “massive surge” in Reform councillors during this May’s local elections. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage confirmed Cunningham as the party’s mayoral candidate for the 2028 polls.
He described her as the face of Reform UK’s London campaign and called the election “highly significant.” Speaking alongside Farage at a press conference, Cunningham targeted Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan’s record on crime.
She promised to task police with “targeting, hunting and prosecuting rape gangs in London.” Cunningham said she would achieve this by rewriting the London police and crime plan.
Furthermore, she pledged to scrap the ultra-low emission zone if she won office. When asked about the congestion charge, she said Londoners would “have to wait and find out.”
She also referenced restoring London to its “glory days” but clarified this meant the era when she was growing up. Cunningham expressed frustration with the Conservative Party, claiming she was “tired of defending failure.”
She emphasised that her candidacy reflects Reform UK’s growing influence in London politics. Farage stated that the mayoral race would serve as a test ahead of the next general election.
Reform UK candidate Cunningham concluded by asserting her commitment to reforming the city and addressing crime effectively.
For more UK political news update, stay tuned to London Pulse News.
