It is becoming rather apparent that one of Reform’s key election strategies is to hope that everyone conveniently forgets how many former Conservative Party politicians form part of their ranks. Otherwise, rants against the so-called establishment – like this one from their London Mayor candidate – ring hollow.
London Mayor race hots-up as James Cleverly enters the fray
Laila Cunningham is the nominee for Reform’s bid to rule London, when the next mayoral vote is held in 2028. The race was given an early and major shake-up on Saturday, when James Cleverly resigned from the shadow cabinet and declared his intention to run as the Tory candidate.
He’s already encountered some fiery pushback from the Reform ranks, with Nigel Farage accusing him of trying to get out of his current constituency seat before the public make the decision for him at the next General Election. Cunningham was also direct in her criticism of Mr. Cleverly.
Speaking on social media, she blasted the Tories for choosing someone ‘from the political establishment’, blaming some of London’s problems on choices made by the Conservative Party. However, as pointed out by a rather cutting Community Note, Cunningham perhaps wasn’t best placed to pass comment.
The 49-year-old was still a councillor for the Tories in Westminster as recently as June 2025. She eventually defected to Reform, stating that she could no longer ‘defend failure’. However, judging by the reaction online, her attempts to distance herself from that establishment have not been well received.
Reform facing threats from left and right in upcoming elections
A poll conducted by Savanta earlier this month shows the monumental task both Reform and the Conservatives face to claim victory in the 2028 London Mayor Elections. Labour currently lead Reform by 13 points, and the Tories place in third, with 18% of the vote.
There are other curveballs awaiting Reform and the right-wing voting bloc, too. This week, Restore Britain contested their first local by-election in Dover, and claimed 10% of the vote. This was enough to scupper Reform’s efforts, with the Green Party candidate eventually winning by a margin of 34 votes.
A similar distribution of votes in London would all but torpedo Reform’s outside chances of a victory in the capital, and Labour still look highly likely to retain the mayorship – with or without Sadiq Khan in the hot-seat.