Reform London mayor candidate accused of talking down capital with ‘pity’ remark | London
Reform’s new London mayoral candidate has been accused of “underestimating” England’s capital after he said people “pity” Londoners.
Laila Cunningham, a former chief prosecutor and Reform Westminster councillor, used a press conference in central London to paint a picture of the capital as a crime-ridden metropolis and declare herself the “new sheriff in town” who, if elected, would launch an “all-out war on crime”.
Standing alongside reform leader Nigel Farage, Cunningham said he loved London as he was born and raised in the city, but claimed it was no longer safe. “I love this city with all my heart, but unlike some in this room, I am not blind to what it has become. London, one of the greatest cities in the world, is no longer safe, and that doesn’t happen by accident,” he said.
He added: “When I was growing up, London was the place to live, the place to work, the place to make a life. People were jealous of us living here. Now they pity us. They say, ‘London is a bit too dangerous for me.'”
Although the next mayoral election is not until 2028, Farage said Cunningham, who quit the Conservatives last year, had proven “outspoken, passionate and a mother”. He added that he will be the face of Reform UK across London for local elections in May.
Cunningham told the press conference that he would rewrite London’s police and crime plan and give the Met “new marching orders” to “tackle major crime”, listing knife crime, drugs, robbery, burglary and rape. The former prosecutor also said he would scrap the ultra-low emissions zone (Ulez) if he came to power, but said people would have to “wait and find out” when asked about the congestion charge.
Farage was also harsh in his criticism of Khan, claiming London was in decline due to crime, with “non-doms, rich people, 30-something entrepreneurs and go-getters migrating to Dubai, Milan and so on”. He said: “[Khan] I can’t imagine London being the most amazing city in the world today. “He’s deluded himself and wants to go out more.”
The Labor Party in London said Cunningham’s announcement “confirmed that Reform England offers nothing but division and decline to capital”.
“London represents everything that Reformation UK stands for: multiculturalism, openness and confidence in our shared future,” a spokesman said. “Cunningham has made a habit of belittling London, repeatedly depicting our city as fragmented and opposing the multiculturalism that makes it the best city in the world.”
Farage and Cunningham were challenged for portraying the capital as a crime-ridden place. Number of murders committed in the capital in the first nine months of 2025 Lowest level since monthly records began There was a decrease of almost 60% compared to 2003. Knife crime fell by 19% between April and June in 2025, while the number of residential burglaries, personal burglaries and personal robberies also fell. According to municipal data.
Farage claimed that he did not accept the statistics and that many people wanted him to answer the question. Crime Survey for England and Wales simply “throw it in the trash.”
Citing his experience as a senior crime prosecutor in London, Cunningham said it was “a dangerous narrative to suggest that London is safe because it is disrespectful to victims”. “I can assure you that crime has not decreased. Crime has increased,” he said.
Responding to the comments, the Liberal Democrats’ London spokesman Luke Taylor said: “London is the greatest city in the world, from its history to its culture and its people, but all the Reformation seems to have done is belittle it. Cunningham and Farage are more interested in sowing the seeds of discrimination than solving the real problems facing Londoners.”
