The Conservatives in London have agreed to fast-track the candidate selection process in the race for City Hall.
The London Board of the Conservative Party met on Monday night and signed off plans to speed up the process of selecting a contender to take on Sadiq Khan, who will seek a historic third term next May.
London minister Paul Scully, Boris Johnson’s former special advisor Samuel Kasumu, London Assembly members Andrew Boff and Nick Roger and ex councillor Duwayne Brooks have all indicated they would like to run.
Mr Kasumu has received some high profile backers in the form of Cabinet Minister Steve Baker, while Grant Shapps and Priti Patel have also described the former Downing Street aide as “hardworking” with London “in his heart”.
“Very soon London Conservatives will have the opportunity to select the candidate they feel is best suited to pull off one of the greatest upsets in modern political history," he said.
“I believe that person is me, and I look forward to making the case in the coming weeks and months.”
However, others in the party are understood to want someone with “star power” to take on Mr Khan.
Insiders have suggested TV judge Rob Rinder or Apprentice-star Karren Brady as possible contenders.
On Tuesday Tory party chairman Greg Hands said the selection process would be “swift, but thorough” with the top candidates taking part in hustings events across London, followed by a vote of London Conservative members.
He said: “[The Mayor’s] Ulez expansion is a shambles that will pile more costs onto hard-pressed motorists living in the outer boroughs and those who travel across the border, to work or visit friends and family.
“He is now facing a high-court challenge.
“We will have a candidate in place by the end of July to give the party 10 months to campaign for change in our capital.”
