The Conservative Party will be holding a primary to select its candidate for the 2016 London Mayoral Election. Anyone in London who is on the electoral roll will be able to register to vote to help the party choose who will stand for the Conservatives in the election next year.
The current Mayor of London Boris Johnson was selected as the Conservative candidate in 2007 using a primary and the party is again giving all Londoners the opportunity to be involved in the process.
Applications are now open and by the end of July a shortlist of 2-3 candidates will go forward to the primary. During the summer the shortlisted candidates will campaign across the capital including taking part in several official hustings. Following the online vote, the Conservative candidate will be announced in September.
London Regional Chairman Ian Twinn, said: “Once again we are inviting Londoners to help us choose our candidate for the London Mayoral Election. Anyone, whether or not they are a party member, can register to vote in the primary. This will give everyone in London ownership of the process.
“In 2016 Londoners will face a choice: we can build on the great achievements under Boris Johnson which has seen more jobs created, transport infrastructure improved and more homes built, or let in a Labour candidate who will only offer more borrowing, more spending and higher taxes – taking London backwards.”
London MEP officially launches his bid to become the next Mayor
Senior Conservative, Syed Kamall, MEP for London, has officially launched his bid to become the next Mayor of London at the Roehampton estate in South West London.
The MEP choose the Regenerate Project this morning to be the venue for the launch because it summed up so much of Mr Kamall`s philosophy for his bid. Regenerate help youngsters in Roehampton find a new path in life.
In his speech he said, "This is a truly inspirational project and for me which represents in real life what my friends teasingly call 'Kamall Conservatism.'.
Mr Kamall, said it was his parents who instilled so many of the values he holds dear today, "My father came to London in the 1950s to work on the railways and then drove a bus. My parents faced many challenges, and yes discrimination was one of them. Of course it was. Life wasn’t easy, but they told me that there was no limit to what you could achieve if you worked hard and believed in yourself. They shaped my views and indeed my career to date."
He grew up in Edmonton and now lives with his wife and family near Kingston Upon Thames. He currently represents the whole of London as an MEP for London at the European Parliament but says that while he spends a few days every week in Brussels, most of the time he is here in our city, helping projects.
Since the news emerged on Friday morning, Mr Kamall says he has been inundated with messages of support from across London and says he hopes now to represent their needs at City Hall.
