Why James Cleverly is sure he’s the man to rid London of the mayor who wages war on drivers while criminals are running riot
Sir James Cleverly has confirmed he is stepping down as an MP to run as the Conservative candidate for London mayor in the May 2028 election, setting up a direct challenge to incumbent Sadiq Khan. The former Home Secretary and Foreign Secretary argues Khan has been "asleep at the wheel" on crime and has waged an unnecessary campaign against motorists, and he believes he is well placed to win back a traditionally Labour-leaning capital for the Tories.
Cleverly, 57, points to rising knife crime, muggings, so-called "Rolex gangs" targeting shoppers in Mayfair, homeless encampments on Park Lane and falling property prices as evidence of Khan's underperformance during his fourth term, alongside TfL strikes and anger over the Ulez expansion. Despite this, he says he wants to run a positive campaign in the mould of Ronald Reagan rather than a negative one, citing the failed 2024 bid of fellow Tory Susan Hall as a cautionary example, while also addressing concerns about safety among London's Jewish community and reacting to a recent stabbing in Shepherd's Bush.
- Cleverly quits as MP to run for London mayor in 2028
- He accuses Sadiq Khan of failing on crime and driver policy
- Aims for a positive campaign, citing Reagan as inspiration
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Sadiq Khan has been London's mayor since 2016 and is currently serving his third term, having built his record partly around measures aimed at cutting car use and pollution, such as the expanded Ultra Low Emission Zone. Critics, including Conservative politicians, say this has come at the expense of tackling crime and easing pressure on motorists, while Khan's supporters point to falling emissions and investment in transport as achievements.
Sir James Cleverly is a senior Conservative politician who has held two of the great offices of state, serving as Home Secretary and then Foreign Secretary under recent Tory governments. He is now stepping down from Parliament to stand as the Conservative candidate for London mayor, with the next election due in May 2028.
The contest matters because London's mayor controls policing priorities, transport policy including the Ulez, and has a high public profile that can shape wider political debate. The Conservatives have struggled to win the mayoralty in recent years, most recently losing with candidate Susan Hall in 2024, so Cleverly's campaign will be watched as a test of whether the party can make the capital competitive again.