Sadiq Khan appeared to tell a City Hall meeting on Thursday that he would prefer to go up against Tory mayoral hopeful Susan Hall, rather than her rival Moz Hossain.
The mayor weighed into the Tory candidate selection process at a meeting of the London Assembly, where he repeatedly asked Conservative group leader Neil Garratt whether he would be voting for Ms Hall.
The party’s London members are currently voting to decide who should be their candidate in next year’s mayoral election.
Following Daniel Korski’s exit from the race, the field of candidates narrowed to just two: Ms Hall, an assembly member and former council leader, and Mr Hossain, a criminal barrister and King’s Counsel.
The chosen candidate will be announced on July 19 but at Thursday’s meeting, Mr Khan gave his own opinion on the race.
First, the mayor repeatedly asked Tory group leader Mr Garratt whether he would be voting for Ms Hall, but was ignored by him.
Assembly chairman Andrew Boff tried to move the discussion on by telling Labour member Leonie Cooper that it was now her turn to speak.
But Mr Khan cut across her, asking: “Are you voting for Susan? Because Neil Garratt isn’t.”
Raising his hand, the mayor added: “I’d like Susan.”
Even if said in jest, the remarks are unlikely to be welcomed by Ms Hall, who has pitched her campaign around her being “the one Sadiq Khan fears”.
Her supporters point out that unlike her rival Mr Hossain, she has fought and won elections in the past, and she regularly confronts the mayor with difficult questions at City Hall meetings.
Mr Hossain has meanwhile emphasised his experience as a senior lawyer, as well as his inspirational backstory - having been born into poverty in Bangladesh.
The mayoral election, along with elections to the Assembly, is scheduled to be held on May 2, 2024.
The Green Party has selected Hackney borough councillor Zoë Garbett, while Reform UK has chosen Howard Cox, the founder of Fair Fuel UK. The Liberal Democrats are expected to announce their candidate over the coming weeks.
