Farage launches attack on Sadiq Khan as Reform unveils challenger for London mayoral elections

Nigel Farage has unveiled Reform UK’s candidate for the London Mayoral elections, arguing “we need to get rid of Sadiq Khan”.

Westminster City councillor Laila Cunningham, who will also be the figurehead for the party’s campaign ahead of May’s local elections, signalled she would focus on a crackdown on crime as Reform’s London mayoral candidate.

Mr Farage said May’s local elections – which are expected to deliver devastating results for both Labour and the Tories – will be the “single most significant” electoral test ahead of the next general election.

Announcing her candidacy for the 2028 mayoral elections at a press conference in London surrounded by banners which read “London needs Reform”, the party leader claimed the capital is “now in the grip of a crime wave run by foreign criminal gangs”.

He added: “Internationally the reputation of London is collapsing. It’s now being talked about around the world in increasingly disparaging terms. The fish does rot from the head; we need to get rid of Khan.”

Taking aim at Sir Sadiq Khan’s record in office, Ms Cunningham said: “There will be a new sheriff in town, and I’ll be launching an all-out war on crime.”

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She added: “I will set clear, high-level priorities for the Met to focus on tackling knife crime, drugs, robbery, shoplifting, rape.”

Ms Cunningham also said she would task the police with “targeting, hunting and prosecuting rape gangs in London”.

Asked how she would reduce crime, the Westminster councillor said she would rewrite the London police and crime plan and give “new marching orders” to the Metropolitan Police to “tackle crime that matters”.

Ms Cunningham also argued policing problems in the Met were about priorities rather than recruitment.

The Reform mayoral candidate said she would scrap Ulez, the ultra-low emission zone, if she won power in London – hitting out at what she claimed was a “war on motorists” launched by the Labour mayor.

Ulez requires drivers to pay a daily charge based on how polluting the emissions from their vehicle are.

She was less certain about whether she would get rid of the congestion charge, telling a press conference, “You will have to wait and find out.”

Pressed about a claim she wanted to restore London to its “glory days” and when she thought those glory days were, Ms Cunningham referred to “when I was growing up”.

She added: “When I was growing up, I wasn’t scared to walk down the streets. I knew my local bobby. In fact, when I was growing up, my local teacher lived next to me. Now she can’t afford it. My local bobby lived next to me, now he can’t afford it.”

Asked if she wanted to see the Conservatives stand aside for Reform to improve their chances at the next London mayoral election, she did not appear to consider them a threat to her party’s chances of winning.

“They can do whatever they want,” Ms Cunningham said.

Responding to the press conference, a source close to Sir Sadiq said: “After winning with a historic landslide victory in May 2024, his third, Sadiq is getting on with the job of delivering a fairer, safer, greener city for every Londoner.

“Sadiq has delivered 100 million free school meals for state primary school kids in the capital, helping families with the cost of living.

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“The number of homicides in London are at a record low, he’s built a record number of council homes and Sadiq’s policies have cut harmful air pollution in the capital by 27 per cent.”

The same press conference also saw Mr Farage address Donald Trump’s continued threats to take over Greenland after launching a raid on Caracas and capturing the Venezuelan president.

The Reform leader said he believes the concept of international law is “outdated”, arguing the world is moving into “national self-interest”, which he said “will not be a bad thing provided those countries and democratic leaders can be held to account”.

“The concept of international law outdated. It’s popular in Islington and Hampstead but … it’s no longer fit for purpose in 2026.”

He also said there are “genuine security concerns” surrounding Greenland, and that Mr Trump has “a point” – but added that the future of Greenland was for the people of Greenland and Denmark to decide – and warned that if Mr Trump used military force, it could be “the end of Nato”.