Shaun Bailey: Tories choose Windrush descendant to fight Sadiq Khan in London mayoral election
The former youth and drug worker wants a "zero-tolerance" approach to crime and 1,000 extra police officers on London's streets.
Friday 28 September 2018 16:07, UK
Windrush descendant Shaun Bailey has been chosen as the Conservative Party's choice to replace Labour's Sadiq Khan as Mayor of London.
The former youth worker defeated Andrew Boff and Joy Morrisey to be nominated to stand in 2020 after party members voted on Friday.
Mr Bailey, who is a London Assembly member, is pledging a "zero-tolerance" approach to crime and has vowed to put 1,000 extra police officers on London's streets if he wins.
The 46-year-old was born in North Kensington in west London, where he was raised by his mother who came to the UK with his father from their native Jamaica as part of the Windrush generation.
After university he became a drug-worker for a charity after vowing to not go down the same route as many of his peers.
On winning the Tory nomination, he said: "Local government is important work and our city is facing real challenges.
"Violent crime is up. Gang crime is up. Knife crime is up. Our transport system faces a £1bn hole in its operating budget.
"New homes are not being built fast enough. After two and a half years of Sadiq Khan, it is clear we cannot afford more of the same."
His first major political speech after being selected will be at the Conservative conference in Birmingham early next week.
Tory chairman Brandon Lewis welcomed his selection, saying: "I'm delighted Shaun Bailey has been elected as our candidate.
"He is passionate about London and has the ideas London needs to continue to be the best capital city in the world."
Mr Bailey entered politics through his charity work, with his first major role in 2010 as special adviser on youth and crime to David Cameron when he was prime minister.
He helped set up the National Citizen Service then took up an advisory role in the Department for Education.
Since 2015 he has been a London Assembly member, having failed to become an MP in the 2010 and 2015 general elections.
In 2017 Mr Bailey stood in Lewisham West and Penge, coming second.
When he put himself forward to be the Consrvative candidate for the 2020 London Mayoral election, he said Mr Khan had "constantly broken his promises to Londoners".
Mr Bailey accused the current Labour mayor of being "far more interested in promoting his image and pursuing PR opportunities than he is in showing leadership on tackling knife crime or building the homes London needs".