Nigel Farage unveils Reform candidate and vows to unseat Sadiq Khan

Nigel Farage announced Laila Cunningham as Reform UK's candidate for London mayor and said the party will seek to unseat incumbent Sadiq Khan; Cunningham emphasised law-and-order concerns and opposed the Ulez expansion.

Nigel Farage announced today that Reform UK has selected Laila Cunningham as its candidate for London mayor. Cunningham is described as a former Crown Prosecution Service prosecutor, a mother of seven and a former Conservative councillor in Westminster. Mr Farage said the campaign will focus on law and order and criticised Sadiq Khan for standing by amid what he described as criminal activity involving foreign gangs. He framed the upcoming local elections and the 2028 mayoral contest as the next stages of the party's effort. Key points: - Laila Cunningham was named Reform UK's London mayoral candidate at a press conference. - Cunningham's background is reported as a former CPS prosecutor, ex-Tory Westminster councillor and mother of seven. - Mr Farage said Reform will campaign on law-and-order issues and criticised Sadiq Khan's record on crime. - The party plans a campaign across all 32 London boroughs ahead of local elections on May 7, which Mr Farage described as an initial test before the 2028 mayoral contest. Summary: Reform UK has opened its London mayoral campaign by naming Laila Cunningham and signalling a focus on crime and transport policy such as the Ulez expansion. The party intends to contest local elections across London on May 7 as a first electoral test, and Mr Farage framed those contests as steps toward the 2028 mayoral election.