Don’t be complacent – right-wing populist Susan Hall really could become Mayor

The Mayoral race is closer than you think. Susan Hall could win despite not knowing not knowing how much a bus fare is and liking Tweets by Donald Trump, says Josh Simons

London is Open. With those three words, Sadiq Khan set the tone as Mayor of the UK’s capital after taking office in 2016. Yet the campaign he is now fighting may be a foretaste of things to come: a populist, right-wing Tory against a credible, professional Labour leader.

To earn and re-earn his mandate, Khan has seen off some ugly opponents. First, eight years ago, Zac Goldsmith, son of a Brexit-backing millionaire. Mr Goldsmith told majority-Hindu voters Mr Khan would put their family jewellery at risk. He also professed a love for Bollywood but couldn’t name a single star.

Then, in 2021, Shaun Bailey ran such an ill-conceived campaign against Khan that he campaigned in Watford, Hertfordshire, where people could not vote for him. The recently ennobled Lord Bailey of Paddington was photographed at a boozy lockdown-breaking party in 2020 – as Londoners died alone in hospitals.

Throughout this, Mr Khan has focused on delivering for working people. Air pollution levels have come down sharply following a focus on active travel, Londoners have enjoyed cheaper bus fares for years and an acute housing crisis is being tackled with a major boom in council house building.

However, the Mayor now faces his biggest challenge yet. That’s no joke. Susan Hall could be the next Mayor of London. This is despite not knowing how much a bus fare is, or who owns Hammersmith bridge and repeatedly being caught by charity Hope Not Hate liking posts on Twitter celebrating Donald Trump and Nigel Farage.

Her bizarre antics also include wildly claiming to have been pickpocketed on the Tube only to admit her purse had been returned to her with nothing missing. It was almost as if she dropped it.

So, why is Sadiq Khan – who won 40 per cent of the vote three years ago – in such a tough fight against Hall? The race is tighter than many think, especially in outer London boroughs.

Some in inner London may be tempted to lend their votes to the Greens, or stay-at-home, while many outer Londoners have mobilised against a single flagship policy: the Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ), an attempt to drive polluting cars off the streets.

Labour must now convince voters who’d be appalled to have Hall as their Mayor to actually turn out and vote for Khan. That is why it’s vital to remind voters Hall is a Trump-backer who likes social media posts which label the capital “Londonistan.”

But, for Conservatives, how closely their disaster of a candidate is running Mr Khan should probably inspire them – and scare Labour. If they choose to run a serious candidate in the future, the liberal city of London could once again vote for a Tory mayor.

For now, London remains open under a Mayor focused on delivering for Londoners. But Khan’s race may signal tough elections to come.

Josh Simons is director of Labour Together