London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Tories seeking ‘star power’ mayor candidate to try and oust Sadiq Khan

Tories seeking ‘star power’ mayor candidate to try and oust Sadiq Khan

Tory chiefs will meet on Monday evening to discuss fast tracking a candidate to take on Sadiq Khan next May
Tory chiefs will meet on Monday night to discuss fast tracking a candidate to take on Sadiq Khan at the next Mayoral election.

The party’s London board is meeting with Conservative Campaign Headquarters to lay out plans to have their contender in place by July.

Senior Conservative officials are believed to want someone with “star power” to take on Labour’s Sadiq Khan, who will fight for a historic third turn at the election next May.

One Tory source told the Standard that “someone like” West Ham vice-chairman and Apprentice star Karren Brady would be a “perfect choice”.

The Conservative life peer said she had no plans to take up elected office in 2013 but has more recently refused to rule out running to lead City Hall.

“She has the star power needed to defeat the incumbent Labour Mayor,” a Tory insider said.

“We need someone like that if we are going to win.”

TV judge Rob Rinder was also touted as a potential candidate by a Sunday newspaper, however he this morning distanced himself from the report.

Government minister Paul Scully has told the Standard he is considering running.

The Sutton and Cheam MP has said the controversial expansion of the ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) to outer London boroughs, plus a near £40 council tax hike from City Hall and a six per cent hike in Tube and bus fares will place Mr Khan at greater risk of defeat.

London Assembly members Andrew Boff and Nick Rogers, former Lewisham councillor Duwayne Brooks and Boris Johnson’s ex special advisor Samuel Kasumu have also indicted they would like to run.

Conversations at the meeting tonight will focus on compiling a long-list of contenders.

The fast-tracking plan is subject to approval by the London board.

Any decision on a final candidate will go to a vote of London members after a hustings, a Conservative party source said.

Next May Mr Khan will seek a record third term in City Hall after two resounding victories in 2016 and 2021, in which he secured the two biggest winning majorities in the history of the mayoralty, 315,529 and 228,433 respectively.

However, London Tories have cited Mr Khan controversial Ulez expansion to the outer London boroughs as their “best hope” of winning over voters at the next election and taking control of City Hall for the first time since Boris Johnson’s leadership from 2008 to 2016.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has hinted that the fight against the clean air zone will be an instrumental part of the Conservative’s election campaign in the capital.

Five Tory-run councils - Bexley, Bromley, Harrow, Hillingdon and Surrey Council- cleared the first hurdle of their legal fight against the Ulez earlier this month.

The party also believes it could be boosted by a change to the first past the post voting system, whereby the winner is decided by a simple majority.

Currently, London’s mayor is elected through a more proportional system where voters pick a first and second preference choice.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×