In 16 months, London will vote for its next Mayor. Sadiq Khan confirmed he will be running as the Labour candidate days before Christmas and unless the Tories raise a high-profile candidate in the coming months, Khan will easily win an unprecedented third term in power.
To date there has been silence from the Tory caucus in City Hall and campaign HQ. Rishi Sunak has been somewhat distracted but the risks for the Tories of not finding a contender worthy of challenging Khan are high. Firstly, it does this city a great disservice to not push our current Mayor — a tough, experienced political operator — to deliver a visionary plan for London that extends well beyond his admirable environmental focus. Secondly, a defeat at the polls in our capital where the Conservatives are increasingly conceding any power could mean a Tory wipeout here for generations. This is not good for democracy. And it certainly won’t help Sunak win the next election.
