Farage launches attack on Sadiq Khan as Reform unveils challenger for London mayoral elections
Nigel Farage has announced Reform UK’s London Mayoral election candidate, claiming “we need to get rid of Sadiq Khan”.
Westminster City councilor Laila Cunningham, who will also spearhead the party’s campaign ahead of local elections in May, has signaled that she will focus on the fight against crime as Reform’s London mayoral candidate.
Mr Farage said May’s local elections, which are expected to deliver devastating results for both Labor and the Conservative Party, will be the “most important” electoral test ahead of the next general election.
Announcing his candidacy for the 2028 mayoral election at a press conference in London where he was surrounded by banners reading “London Needs Reform”, the party leader claimed that the capital was “now in the grip of a crime wave led by foreign criminal gangs”.
He added: “London’s international reputation is collapsing. He is now being spoken of in increasingly derogatory terms around the world. Fish rot from the head; we need to get rid of Khan.”
Miss Cunningham took aim at Sir Sadiq Khan’s record in office, saying: “There’s going to be a new sheriff in town and I’m going to launch an all-out war on crime.”
He added: “I will set clear, high-level priorities for the Met to focus on tackling knife crime, drugs, robbery, theft and rape.”
Ms Cunningham also said she would task police with “targeting, hunting and prosecuting rape gangs in London”.
Asked how he would reduce crime, the Westminster councilor said he would rewrite London’s police and crime plan and give the Metropolitan Police “new marching orders” to “tackle crime that matters”.
Ms Cunningham also argued police problems at the Met were about priorities rather than recruitment.
The Reform mayoral candidate has said he would scrap the ultra-low emissions zone Ulez if he comes to power in London and has spoken out against what he claims is a “war on motorists” launched by the Labor mayor.
Ulez requires drivers to pay a daily fee based on how polluting their vehicle’s emissions are.
He wasn’t quite sure if he would get rid of the congestion charge, saying at a press conference: “You’ll have to wait and find out.”
Pressed on her claim that she wanted to return London to its “glory days”, Ms Cunningham spoke of “the times when I was growing up” when she thought of those glory days.
He added: “When I was growing up, I wasn’t afraid to walk the streets. I knew my local Bobby. In fact, my local teacher lived next to me when I was growing up. He can’t afford it anymore. My local Bobby lived next to me, he can’t afford it anymore.”
Asked whether he wanted the Conservatives to side with Reform to improve their chances in the next London mayoral election, he did not appear to view them as a threat to his party’s chances of winning.
“They can do whatever they want,” Ms. Cunningham said.
Responding to the press conference, a source close to Sir Sadiq said: “Having won a historic landslide victory for a third time in May 2024, Sadiq continues his work of delivering a fairer, safer, greener city for every Londoner.
“Sadiq helped families with their living expenses by delivering 100 million free school meals to public primary school children in the capital.
“The number of murders in London is at a record low, he has built a record number of social homes and Sadiq’s policies have reduced harmful air pollution in the capital by 27 per cent.”
At the same press conference, Mr Farage was also seen addressing Donald Trump’s ongoing threats to seize Greenland after launching a raid on Caracas and capturing the Venezuelan president.
The reform leader said he believed the concept of international law was “outdated” and that the world was moving towards “national interests”, adding that “as long as these countries and democratic leaders are held accountable, this will not be a bad thing”.
“The concept of international law is outdated. Popular in Islington and Hampstead but… no longer fit for purpose in 2026.”
He also said there were “real security concerns” about Greenland and that Mr Trump was “right”, but added that Greenland’s future depended on the decision of the Greenlandic and Danish people and warned that if Mr Trump used military force it could be “the end of NATO”.
