Conservative mayoral hopeful Sir James Cleverly has warned that Londoners do not feel safe walking down the street and are leaving the capital due to rising costs. In an interview with Metro, the frontrunner to be the Tory candidate for Mayor of London in 2028 said falling crime statistics have not alleviated fears among women and girls that they will become the next victim.
Cleverly's vision for a safer, more vibrant London
Cleverly, who quit the Shadow Cabinet in late August to launch his bid, has vowed to crack down on petty crime such as phone theft and shoplifting if he replaces Sadiq Khan. He also wants to make London more of a 24-hour city with better overnight transport and cheaper nights out.
The Braintree MP, who grew up in Lewisham, has already secured the backing of more than half of Conservative councillors in the capital and four of the eight local Tory MPs. He said he is running to become the first Conservative Mayor in over a decade because he believes Sadiq Khan has let the city 'come off the boil'.
'London is a fantastic, amazing city. I want to fire on all cylinders because I want it to be the best city in the world status that it deserves,' Cleverly said. 'Sadiq Khan has not gone at it with the dynamism the city and the role deserves.'
Crime and the fear factor
Despite vowing to run a 'positive, optimistic' campaign, Cleverly has a list of issues where he says Khan has led London 'in the wrong direction'. Asked if Londoners feel safe walking down the street, he replied: 'I have far too many conversations with people who don't feel safe. That is particularly true of women. I've really focused on making sure that women and girls feel safe and that is a key metric of success.'
City Hall figures from July showed a 15% drop in neighbourhood crime, and last year the murder rate per capita fell to the lowest since records began. However, Cleverly said that 'statistics don't overcome that fear of crime'. He added: 'There is no point the mayor putting a whole load of statistics telling people they are wrong. What we've got to do is demonstrate that the Metropolitan Police and others are doing their job, and the Mayor backs them doing that job.'
Affordability and population decline
Cleverly warned that London life is becoming 'increasingly unaffordable', citing rising living and housing costs as a leading reason people are fleeing. Figures from the Office for National Statistics this summer showed London was the only region in England to see its population fall. 'This is not a good sign at all. London should be one of the most desirable locations in the world. We should be asking why are we losing people,' he said.
He added: 'Young people are being priced out of the housing market. House building has completely collapsed in London. The proportion of people's salary that goes on housing costs in London is too high. If Londoners don't have as much disposable income they don't have the kind of money to go out. We need a mayor with a powerful voice that can really take on the government, who see London as little more than a cash cow.'
Cleverly does not yet have concrete policies but wants a 'complete review' of City Hall's costs and expenditure to redirect money to 'unlock' London. One area he wants to boost is late-night transport, linked to ambitions to bolster nightlife. He named the John Snow pub in Soho as a favourite spot from his time working in Broadwick Street. The Night Time Industries Association has warned there will be no major clubs left in the UK by 2030 if closures continue at the current rate.
'Comparing us with other big cities around the world, we need to be much more of a 24-hour city, particularly in central London. If people go out for something to eat or drink, getting home shouldn't cost them the same amount of money as their night out,' he said.
ULEZ and the path to victory
Cleverly also suggested the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) fee, unpopular among Conservative voters in outer London, could be a target of his City Hall shake-up. 'I am passionate about London being clean and green and happy and healthy as anybody else. But at a time when people are genuinely struggling to make ends meet, you have to look at anything that might impose additional cost upon them,' he said.
If Cleverly wins in 2028, it would be the first Conservative victory since Boris Johnson's second term in 2012. Despite Khan's long tenure, Cleverly disputes the notion that London is a 'left-wing city' and believes he can win over a 'wide group' of voters. 'London is a broad-minded, open-minded city. It's also a business city. It's full of people with a side hustle. It has that ambition and energy that transcends the very simple party political bracket,' he explained.
A spokesperson for the Mayor of London responded: 'Sadiq has made major investments in the Metropolitan Police and positive opportunities for young people as part of his approach of being tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime. The evidence shows this approach is working.' The statement also highlighted record council home building, air quality action, and transport improvements like the Elizabeth Line, Superloop, and Night Tube, as well as a record £6 billion secured for new council and affordable homes.
