London Mayoral Elections: The key candidates and their manifestos
The 2021 London Mayoral Elections will be held on Thursday 6th May, and as things stand, current Mayor, Sadiq Khan is the favourite to re-secure the position he has held since 2016. The London Mayor odds are getting longer by the day, but as we gear up to polling day, let’s take a look at the four key candidates and their manifestos.
Sadiq Khan (Labour)
The former MP for Tooting was elected Mayor in 2016, winning with 57% of the vote. Since then, Khan has been praised for his transport policies, but has received criticism for the increase in crime rates, particularly knife crime, which is at a 10-year high in the city.
Among his top commitments, should he stay on for another four years, are recovering from the downfall of the coronavirus pandemic – by building a greener, safer and more prosperous city. He plans to do this by extending the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) for a Green New Deal. He will continue to invest in public transport, to ensure it is affordable and reliable – but also look to support a revolution in walking and cycling.
Khan also claims he will help the 300,000+ Londoners who lost their jobs in the pandemic to get back into work, while also supporting the hospitality, retail, culture and creative sectors to attract trade and visitors from around the world – by reviving Central London. He promises to invest in young people, providing the positive opportunities they deserve, including community activities, to support adolescents fulfilling their potential.
Shaun Bailey (Conservative)
A member of the London Assembly since 2016, Bailey formerly stood twice, unsuccessfully, as the Conservative candidate for Hammersmith (2010) and Lewisham West and Penge (2017).
In his manifesto, he claims that if successful, he will provide “a fresh start for London”, by listing 10 key points across several categories, including transport, crime, the environment and housing. Like other candidates, he is keen to offer free rail travel for the under-18 and over-60 age categories.
In order to help young people live a life away from crime, Bailey plans to use money from unclaimed Oyster Card balances to build 32 new youth centres, while also building 100,000 houses for £100,000 – in order to help young people get on the property ladder. To make London greener, he also devises a plan for a zero-emission bus fleet by 2025, as well as offering interest-free loans so that black cab drivers can go electric.
Luisa Porritt (Liberal Democrats)
As the Liberal Democrat representative for Camden and former Member of the European Parliament, Porritt plans to “Take London Forward” by focusing on the three areas where the city is currently being let down – jobs, homes and clean air.
Porritt plans to reinvent the high-street, supporting the retail and hospitality sectors, as well as small businesses, who have been failed during the pandemic. In order to decrease the ever-rising unemployment rate among 16–24-year-olds, the proposed London Apprenticeship Hub will support businesses and candidates alike.
With regards to homes, the Lib Dems plan to shape the housing market, by creating affordable housing, turning empty homes and office blocks into use, and in a bid to reduce homelessness, replicate the Housing First approach successful in Finland.
Much like other candidates, Porritt is a firm believer in creating a green bus fleet, and supports more cycling and walking, emphasised by her free bikes on Sunday policy and by doubling expenditure on cycle infrastructure by 2024.
Sian Berry (Green)
Could it be third time lucky for Berry, who was previously the Green Party’s candidate at the 2008 and 2016 London Mayoral election? A member of the London Assembly, and the only Green Party representative on Camden Council, representing Highgate, Berry claims “London needs a new start”.
She vows to make London the greenest city in the world, by protecting green spaces, creating new parks and greener streets, as well as ensuring cleaner air, by reducing traffic and investing in healthy streets.
Also among her key policies are housing – ensuring that everyone can find a decent and secure home, by preventing homelessness and also fighting against the loss of council housing – and actioning for a safe city, to keep everyone safe from harm, on both the roads themselves and while walking the streets.