London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

London mayoral race 2021: Five things learned from Khan v Bailey

London mayoral race 2021: Five things learned from Khan v Bailey

Sadiq Khan and Shaun Bailey did not hold back in a head-to-head debate that got personal at times.

The two leading candidates to become mayor of London set out their stalls on policing, transport and the capital's recovery from the pandemic.

Here's what we learned from their debate on BBC London.

1. They blame each other for rising crime


The debate started off with the two candidates common ground, both agreeing that there needs to be "greater education" for young men to improve safety for women in London in the light of the killing of Sarah Everard.

But as the conversation moved on to rising crime in London, the pair blamed each other.

Mr Khan pointed out Mr Bailey was "the youth and crime advisor to David Cameron and George Osborne" during the years of austerity, when "the cuts began to our police services and youth service".

He also pointed out that violent crime has been rising across the country since then, not just in London.

Before the pandemic the number of violent crimes in England and Wales was rising by 19% a year.

Conservative candidate Mr Bailey laid the blame squarely at the current mayor's door.

"If the streets are not safe that's the responsibility of the mayor," he said. "Safe streets in London aren't a luxury, they're a necessity."

Hearing Mr Bailey talk about rising crime "was like an arsonist lighting a flame complain the Fire Brigade can't put the fire out quick enough," Mr Khan responded,

2. Differences on pandemic response


Mr Khan, who will again be standing for Labour on 6 May, described his opponent as a "lockdown sceptic" for publicly calling for London to remain open ahead of the second period of national restrictions.

The mayor called for a "public inquiry and reckoning for those responsible for the premature deaths of Londoners".

Mr Bailey said any recovery needs to balance the "safety of individuals and the safety of our economy".

He accused Mr Khan of making Londoners afraid to use public transport, which had hurt businesses.

Since the pandemic, Transport for London's (TfL) fare revenues have fallen by 90%.

Mr Khan said he had a £544m plan to get the city back on its feet, but Mr Bailey said this would not help Londoners "out of work right now".

He said the mayor should "look people in the eye and tell them where their job has gone".

Labour candidate Sadiq Khan has been mayor of London since 2016
3. Who can get the best deal for London?


Since a £1.6bn bailout for Transport for London (TfL) was agreed last May, there has been a public war of words between the government and Mr Khan.

"If the government and civil servants do not trust you, then you cannot get a good deal for London," Mr Bailey said.

He accused Mr Khan of "picking fights for no reason to look like you're working".

In response, Mr Khan said his opponent would be "in the pocket of the government " if elected mayor.

Londoners instead "want a mayor who stands up for our city", he continued.

Conservative candidate Shaun Bailey is a former youth worker and current London Assembly member
4. Campaign catchphrases


Both candidates peppered their speech with phrases we can expect to hear repeatedly over the course of the campaign.

Mr Khan painted Mr Bailey's criticisms as "talking London down".

Several times in the debate he claimed the election will be a choice between candidates "talking down London or standing up for London".

Mr Bailey, on the other hand said London needed "a fresh start," which also happens to be his campaign slogan.

5. They both miss their mums


While reflecting on the impact of the pandemic, the candidates revealed they were both missing their mothers.

When asked what he missed most during the past months, Mr Khan said: "hugging my mum.

"It's been really hard, I've not seen her properly for some time," he added.

Mr Bailey said the biggest personal issue had been seeing the impact on "the mental health of my children".

But he added he also hadn't been able to see his mum "because she's asthmatic".


Key moments from the Sadiq Khan and Shaun Bailey debate


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
After 200,000 Orders in 2 Minutes: Xiaomi Accelerates Marketing in Europe
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
William and Kate Are Moving House – and the New Neighbors Were Evicted
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
Taylor Swift on the Way to the Super Bowl? All the Clues Stirring Up Fans
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Apple Expands Social Media Presence in China With RedNote Account Ahead of iPhone 17 Launch
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Cambridge Dictionary Adds 'Skibidi,' 'Delulu,' and 'Tradwife' Amid Surge of Online Slang
Bill Barr Testifies No Evidence Implicated Trump in Epstein Case; DOJ Set to Release Records
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
The CEO Who Replaced 80% of Employees for the AI Revolution: "I Would Do It Again"
Emails Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Character.ai Bets on Future of AI Companionship
China Ramps Up Tax Crackdown on Overseas Investments
Japanese Office Furniture Maker Expands into Bomb Shelter Market
Intel Shares Surge on Possible U.S. Government Investment
Hurricane Erin Threatens U.S. East Coast with Dangerous Surf
EU Blocks Trade Statement Over Digital Rule Dispute
EU Sends Record Aid as Spain Battles Wildfires
JPMorgan Plans New Canary Wharf Tower
Zelenskyy and his allies say they will press Trump on security guarantees
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Escalating Clashes in Serbia as Anti-Government Protests Spread Nationwide
The Drought in Britain and the Strange Request from the Government to Delete Old Emails
Category 5 Hurricane in the Caribbean: 'Catastrophic Storm' with Winds of 255 km/h
"No, Thanks": The Mathematical Genius Who Turned Down 1.5 Billion Dollars from Zuckerberg
The surprising hero, the ugly incident, and the criticism despite victory: "Liverpool’s defense exposed in full"
Digital Humans Move Beyond Sci-Fi: From Virtual DJs to AI Customer Agents
YouTube will start using AI to guess your age. If it’s wrong, you’ll have to prove it
×