London Mayoral Election 2024: Who are the candidates running for mayor?

On 2 May Londoners will head to the polls to elect a mayor and 25 London Assembly members.

This year there will be a new voting system first past the post (FPTP), similar to what is used in general elections.

In previous mayoral elections voters could make a first and second choice for mayor, however this time they will only get one vote.

All major political parties have announced their candidates.

Here are all the candidates running for London mayor.

Sadiq Khan – Labour Party

Sadiq Khan is running for his third term as London mayor after first being elected in 2016.

The Labour incumbent launched his re-election campaign on Monday 18 March and accused the Conservatives of an “abject failure” on housing.

He pledged to build 40,000 new council homes by the end of the decade to unleash the “greatest council housebuilding drive in a generation” if voted back in.

He said the capital would go “much further, much faster” with Labour running both Downing Street and City Hall and without the Tories “holding us back”.

The mayor vowed to deliver a “once-in-a-generation opportunity to make real inroads into solving London’s housing crisis” and “end the scandal of rough sleeping”.

Susan Hall – Conservative Party

Susan Hall is a London Assembly member and former council leader.

If she defeats Mr Khan, she will become the first woman to lead London as mayor.

Ms Hall has a five-point plan for London. She vows to reduce crime, scrap Ulez, build “family homes”, and make London a “cleaner and greener city”.

The Tory candidate has been a controversial choice since her selection last year.

She previously apologised for liking a string of tweets including Islamophobic abuse of Mr Khan and images of former Conservative politician Enoch Powell, best known for his infamous “rivers of blood” immigration speech that was widely blamed for heightening racial tensions in the 1960s.

Ms Hall also admitted she does not know the price of bus fares in London.

Rob Blackie – Liberal Democrats

Rob Blackie is an anti-Brexit campaigner and digital marketer who advises start-up tech companies.

The Lib Dem candidate launched his election campaign on Tuesday 18 March, saying his top priority is crime and policing.

“Sadiq Khan’s failure on those issues is the main reason I am standing against him,” he said.

“Violent crime has risen by 30 per cent in London since Mr Khan has been in office. Sexual offence clear-up rates have halved in the last eight years…

“Sadiq Khan blames everyone else for this but himself. The buck stops with him and we will call him out in this campaign.”

Mr Blackie also described Conservative candidate Ms Hall as “beyond the pale”.

Zoe Garbett – Green Party

Zoe Garbett is a councillor for Dalston and Hackney.

She tweeted in February: “I’m overjoyed to have been chosen to be the Green Party candidate for London Mayor. Huge thank you to London Green Party for your support and can’t wait to start the campaign.”

Ms Garbett has called for a two-year rent freeze as one of her main priorities.

Vying to become London’s first Green mayor, she said: “If people want to vote Green, they can – and should! The Green Party has consistently come third in London and we are a growing force nationally.

“Green Assembly members have a track record of delivering for Londoners. A Green mayor would be much more ambitious tackling the issues that really matter to voters: dealing with the housing crisis, making our city more affordable and a more accountable police service.”

Howard Cox – Reform UK

Howard Cox is the founder of Fair Fuel UK campaign and Reform UK’s candidate for mayor.

Mr Cox has pledged to scrap Ulez as well as low-traffic neighbourhoods.

At an anti-Ulez protest earlier this year, the Reform candidate said: “Good, decent, honest, taxpaying, hardworking people are being impacted by Ulez.

“It’s such a sad thing because we do not need Ulez. Science proves we don’t need it.

“Stop picking on the motorists, they’re the commercial heartbeat of the economy.”

Amy Gallagher – Social Democrat Party

Amy Gallagher is an NHS nurse and psychotherapist.

Ms Gallagher told the BBC she was standing in the election to “push back on woke ideology”.

Ms Gallagher said London had become “more divided” and that Sadiq Khan was “spending too much money on campaigns that are all about virtue signalling”. If elected, her top priority would be to “defund divisive diversity and inclusive spending”.

She added: “Poor living conditions, lack of community, division, increases in crime, unreliable public transport: many people feel like politicians have let them down and they never get the change they were promised.”

Ms Gallagher garnered media attention after bringing legal action against the NHS, accusing it of forcing critical race theory on people.

Count Binface – Independent

Count Binface describes himself as an intergalactic space warrior.

He previously ran in the 2021 London election and came ninth.

He pledges to enforce a price cap on croissants, rename London Bridge to Phoebe Waller-Bridge and bring back Ceefax.

He also vows to ban loud snacks from theatres and give royal palaces to the homeless.

Other candidates

Brian Rose – London Real Party

Natalie Campbell – Former Conservative hopeful

Shyam Batra – Finance and property broker

Tarun Ghulati – Investment banker

Andreas Michli – Health and fitness entrepreneur

When and how can voters go to the polls?

Anyone who lives in London and is over the age of 18 on the day of the election is eligible to vote. You must be registered to vote.

The deadline to register to vote is Tuesday 16 April. It can be done here.

Voters can cast their ballot in person on 2 May, by post or by proxy. Find your nearest polling station here.

Everyone will need to show photo ID at polling stations before they vote.

People will have three votes – one for mayor and two for the London Assembly.

The results will be announced at City Hall on Saturday 4 May.

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