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Reform UK Selects Laila Cunningham for 2028 London Mayoral Race

lite News Desk 2 min read

At a glance

  • Reform UK named Laila Cunningham as its 2028 London mayoral candidate
  • Cunningham is a Westminster City Councillor and former CPS prosecutor
  • She will lead Reform UK’s campaign for the 2026 London borough elections

Reform UK has announced Laila Cunningham as its candidate for the 2028 London mayoral election, marking the party's entry into the upcoming contest with a named figurehead.

Cunningham currently serves as a Westminster City Councillor and joined Reform UK after leaving the Conservative Party in June 2025. She previously worked as a prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, bringing legal experience to her political role.

The announcement also stated that Cunningham will act as the lead representative for Reform UK’s campaign efforts across London ahead of the May 2026 borough elections. The party has positioned her to increase its visibility in the capital during the lead-up to both the borough and mayoral elections.

Cunningham outlined her priorities for the mayoral campaign, focusing on public safety and law enforcement. She pledged to set new directives for the Metropolitan Police, targeting issues such as knife crime, drugs, robbery, shoplifting, and rape.

What the numbers show

  • The next London mayoral election is scheduled for May 2028
  • Laila Cunningham defected to Reform UK in June 2025
  • London borough elections will take place in May 2026

As part of her campaign platform, Cunningham said she would rewrite the London police and crime plan if elected. She stated that she would issue new instructions to the Metropolitan Police to focus on crime priorities identified as most pressing for Londoners.

In addition to her policing proposals, Cunningham announced her intention to remove the Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) if she becomes mayor. This measure has been presented as one of her key policy positions for the 2028 election.

The selection of Cunningham as Reform UK’s candidate marks a formal step in the party’s preparations for the next mayoral race. The party aims to build its profile in London by participating in both the 2026 borough and 2028 mayoral elections with Cunningham as a central figure.

The 2028 London mayoral election is set to take place in May, with Cunningham representing Reform UK as its official candidate. Her campaign will also be linked to the party’s activities in the run-up to the borough elections the previous year.

* This article is based on publicly available information at the time of writing.

Sources and further reading

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