London is one of the greatest cities in the world. I have no time for those who insist otherwise. I was born here. I have worked here for many years and had a lot of fun along the way.
It has everything you could ever want from a city. Energy, ambition, history and culture in abundance. Above all, it has people who work hard, take risks, build businesses, raise families and create opportunity, not just for themselves, but for others too. That is what makes London special.
This is why it is so frustrating to see parts of our city being let down by Sadiq Khan. Large parts of London are not being run as well as they should be.
Crime is one of the clearest examples. When gangs of youths can ransack shops or behave with impunity, like we saw in Clapham just a few weeks ago, it sends a message that the rules are no longer being enforced. That is corrosive, it undermines confidence and it punishes those who do the right thing.
A city feeling the squeeze
At the same time, many Londoners feel squeezed. They are paying more but getting less in return. People are priced out of housing because of Khan’s abject failure to build the homes we need, while prices in shops and restaurants tick steadily upwards due to Rachel Reeves’s toxic tax rises. This is not sustainable in a city that depends on aspiration and enterprise.
The Conservative Party stands on the side of the people who get up early, run businesses, create jobs, save for a home and try to build a better life for their children. They are the backbone of London and the people that make our country great. Under Labour, these people are being ignored.
All Labour seem to do is spend other people’s hard-earned money on bizarre ideological nonsense
Where they are in power in London, all Labour seem to do is spend other people’s hard-earned money on bizarre ideological nonsense that does nothing to help people’s daily lives.
Khan has hiked the congestion charge, closed police stations across London and is now forcing through plans to concrete over local green spaces. Labour councils across the city are doing nothing to stop him, because they’re on his side, not yours.
That’s why electing Conservative councillors in London is so important. The Conservatives are the only party that actually stands up to Khan.
We have seen this most clearly in debates about the green belt. Others, including Reform, have been willing to compromise or even support building over it. Reform’s candidate for Mayor has even said the green belt doesn’t really exist in London.
The Conservatives in City Hall and in Town Halls across London have been clear. Our Parks and green spaces make London liveable and should be protected.
It is the same story on policing and council tax. Only Conservative councils are fighting to protect our police stations and keep council tax as low as possible.
As Londoners prepare to vote, there is a clear choice. There are parties offering higher spending and higher taxes, with little evidence they can deliver better services. There are also smaller parties and independents offering protest votes that may feel appealing but, in many areas, those parties simply cannot win.
The effect of voting for a protest party is often to split the vote and allow Labour to take control. We have seen it happen before.
Ultimately, these elections are about who runs your local area. Who makes decisions about your services, your streets, your community.
A vote for Conservative councillors is a vote for people who will focus on those responsibilities. Who will keep council tax as low as possible. Who will defend drivers, prioritise the services you and your family rely on and who will stand up to Khan.
Under my leadership, the Conservative Party has changed. We have learned the lessons of recent years and we are using our time in opposition to ensure we have the plans and the team to make sure we don’t make the same mistakes again.
I know what my principles are and I know what it means to be a Conservative. Everyone who stands for my party knows and believes the same.
London deserves leadership that reflects those values. It deserves to be run in a way that matches the ambition and effort of the people who call it home.
This city has given so much to so many of us. It is worth standing and fighting for and that is exactly what Conservative councillors across London will do.
Kemi Badenoch, leader of the Conservative Party
