The race to become the Tory mayoral candidate for London took a shock turn on Sunday afternoon when the apparent frontrunner failed to make it onto the party’s shortlist.
Paul Scully, the Minister for London and MP for Sutton and Cheam, had been widely thought to be the most likely to be chosen to challenge Labour mayor Sadiq Khan in next May’s City Hall elections.
But Mr Scully failed to make it onto the shortlist of three - with party grandees instead choosing Susan Hall, Daniel Korski and Mozammel Hossain.
After a series of hustings, London party members will vote between July 4 and 18, with a winner being announced on July 19.
Conservative Party Chairman, Greg Hands MP said: “I’m pleased to announce that we now have our three shortlisted candidates for the London Mayoral elections.
“All three of these individuals have shown great commitment to fighting Sadiq Khan and to bettering London with the Conservatives.
“I thank all of the candidates that put their name forward for this process and look forward to the hustings to come.”
There have been suggestions that Mr Scully’s role in an unpopular Government would have counted against him.
Ms Hall is a serving member of the London Assembly and a former leader of the City Hall Conservatives. At City Hall, she has sought to hold Mr Khan to account, with a particular focus on scandals in the Metropolitan police.
A former leader of Harrow council, she is the only one of the three candidates to currently hold elected office, and has a reputation for “plain speaking”.
She told the Standard: “I am honoured to have been shortlisted and enormously grateful for everyone’s support.
“I am the candidate Sadiq Khan fears the most, because I will expose him, defeat him and clean up the mess he has left behind. You are safer with Susan as your candidate.”
Mr Korski is a former Downing Street aide to David Cameron who has become a tech entrepreneur.
In an interview with the Standard, he proposed imposing a tourist tax on hotel rooms to help fund the Metropolitan police. He has also suggested replacing the Ulez with a “pay per mile” road pricing system.
Mr Korski said in relation to his shortlisting: “I am delighted and it shows there is real support in the party for working to restore the ‘London Dream’ and offering a different vision of City Hall.”
Mr Hossain is a KC - a senior barrister - who until now was almost wholly unknown as a potential mayoral candidate. He has no obvious social media profile but is thought to be liked by Downing Street.
🚨 NEW
— Henry Riley (@HenryRiley1) June 11, 2023
Mozammel Hossain was the 9th candidate I reported who had entered the race
He didn’t want to go public unless he made the final 3, he now has (despite no campaigning)
I understand he will be endorsed by Sir Iain Duncan Smith when he launches campaign soon@LBC
Sources told the Standard there was considerable surprise at the decision not to include Mr Scully - a frontbench Government minister - on the shortlist.
One said the decision was “very odd” and that “a lot of people are upset with this result”. There is concern that Mr Hossain in particular is “unknown” to London voters.
When Mr Scully entered the race last month, he was regarded as the first “big hitter” to throw his hat into the ring. He vowed to scrap the Ulez expansion - which is due to happen on August 29 - on his first day in office.
He claimed to have the greatest level of support among London MPs and Tory councillors. It is understood that Mr Scully and Ms Hall had tied for third place in the shortlisting process - with Ms Hall victorious after a second round of voting.
He said on Sunday night: “While I’m disappointed by today’s decision, I’d like to extend my deepest gratitude to Team Scully, the many volunteers, activists, councillors, AMs (assembly members) and MPs across London who supported my campaign. Your dedication and scale of support has been incredible.”
@Scully4London @scullyp will be a great Mayor from London. He’s winner who delivers, I’m backing him. https://t.co/CAj4T8l1a3
— Councillor Laila Cunningham (@lailaforlondon) June 10, 2023
Others who failed to make the shortlist include the veteran London Assembly member Andrew Boff, Samuel Kasumu, a former aide to Boris Johnson, and former royal aide Natalie Campbell.
Mr Kasumu, a councillor in Welwyn Hatfield, said he had even failed to make the long-list of candidates invited to be interviewed by party officials on Sunday.
Ms Campbell apparently admitted she had only been a Tory party member for several months and had previously been a Lib-Dem.
Whoever is chosen to compete against Mr Khan faces a considerable challenge. Mr Khan was re-elected in 2021 with a record number of votes for a sitting mayor when he defeated Tory candidate Shaun Bailey in the second round run-off.
However the voting system in next year’s mayoral poll is being changed to the conventional first past the post system - meaning Mr Khan cannot rely on having his majority boosted by second preference votes from Londoners who voted for the Lib-Dem or Green candidate in the first instance.
Other factors potentially counting against Mr Khan are voter fatigue - he is seeking a record third term - and the scale of opposition to the Greater London Ulez ezpansion.
