Leila Cunningham, the Reform Party's candidate for Mayor of London, later stated that she was summoned to a meeting and informed that she may have breached the code of conduct for civil servants. Cunningham, a candidate for Mayor of London from the Reform Party, indicated that she would focus on fighting crime and criticized the record of former London Mayor Sadiq Khan from the Labour Party in this regard, stating she has a "different message" for Londoners. Leila Cunningham's name has emerged in recent months as one of the key faces in the race for the mayorship of London in elections considered among the most complex and sensitive in the British political landscape. British Reform Party leader Nigel Farage announced that Leila Cunningham would be the party's candidate for Mayor of London in the upcoming 2028 capital elections. So, who is Leila? The former London chief prosecutor was born to Egyptian parents who immigrated to the UK in the 1960s. Cunningham and Farage appeared together at a press conference on Wednesday, January 7th, surrounded by signs reading "London Needs Reform." At the press conference, Farage stated that Cunningham would be the central figure for the party's campaign in London before the May elections, which he described as "the most important electoral test" before the next general election. After becoming a Westminster City Council member for the Conservative Party in 2022, the mother of seven joined the Reform Party in June of last year, declaring her desire to fight for "tax cuts, border control, and putting Britain's interests first." Leila Cunningham comes from a middle-class background and grew up in South London, where she says housing issues, the high cost of living, and public services formed her early political awareness. Cunningham studied social sciences and urban policy and worked for years in civil society organizations focused on social housing and combating urban poverty before entering politics. Speaking of her love for the capital, Cunningham stated that she learned "the importance of teamwork" through playing basketball at the London Youth Olympics. She said: "I became Chief Prosecutor here, I am raising my seven children here, and these are seven reasons why I want to do this job," as reported by British newspaper The Independent. The formidable woman, Cunningham, left her post as Chief Prosecutor in June of last year after making a series of political statements upon joining the Reform Party. Her role as Chief Prosecutor required her to adhere to strict rules limiting any political activity that could be seen as compromising neutrality, in line with the rules followed by civil servants. After Cunningham's statements were published in The Standard, it was announced that she had resigned, and it was accepted. Cunningham stated: "There will be a new leader for the city, and I will wage a full-on war on crime." She added: "I will set clear, high-level priorities for the Metropolitan Police to focus on tackling knife crime, drugs, shoplifting, and muggings." She also stated that she would instruct the police to "target, pursue, and prosecute rape gangs in London."
