UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Councillor Laila Cunningham defects to Reform UK, calling out policing failures and saying voters are angry and ready for major change in London politics.
As reported by The Standard, a senior Tory councillor in central London is joining Reform UK, amid Nigel Farage’s push to expand his party’s presence in city politics.
What did Laila Cunningham say about Tory failures?
Laila Cunningham, councillor for Lancaster Gate, has announced her resignation from the Conservatives, stating she’s “tired of defending failure.”
She slammed the capital’s police shortage, calling it a “dereliction of duty” in the fight against crime.
Ms Cunningham predicted Reform UK would see major gains in the next London council elections, as voters grow “frustrated, angry, and eager to make a difference.”
Speaking in a wide-ranging interview, Cllr Cunningham expressed confidence that Reform UK, with 15,800 members in London, can gain seats across the capital.
She said,
“I think come May, there’ll be many more Reform councillors. It’s not the usual people who want to run for council for Reform. It’s actually residents who really experience hardship under a Conservative or a Labour council or a Labour-run London, and they’re frustrated and they’re angry and they want to make a difference.”
Ms Cunningham stated,
“I think you are going to see a massive surge in London in terms of councillors.”
She claimed a Reform UK candidate could become the next Mayor of London, calling it a potential turning point in the city’s political landscape.
The criminal lawyer said,
“It’s a dereliction of duty that there’s not more policing, more access to police, and that’s what I want to see a change.”
She argued,
“For me, I believe the country has lost its way. And I can say this also, you know, as a mother, I feel I can’t let my children out, especially I’ve got teenage boys. I worry about them every day on the streets.”
Ms Cunningham stated,
“Again, I grew up here, I never felt that. I can say that as a woman, I can say that as a Muslim, we have certain communities in this country that have destroyed the image of British Muslims. And that makes me very, very angry. And I want to defend British values and British rights.”
She criticised both the Tories and Labour for failing on major issues like crime, immigration control, public services, national debt, and net-zero policy.
The councillor said,
“I’m tired of defending failure. So, when I’m at the doorstep, speaking to residents, campaigning, I can’t defend the Conservatives anymore. I can’t defend the past 14 years.”
She shared that her parents, who arrived from Egypt in the 1960s, launched a small hospitality business and fully adopted British traditions and identity.
When asked if she supports banning the burka in public, as some senior Reform figures proposed, she replied,
“I’m a lawyer, and I don’t understand what banning means; you’d have to be precise to me with what you mean by banning. Does that mean you’re arrested upon sight of it?”
Ms Cunningham stated,
“I don’t think you should have any face coverings in public. Rather than ban it, there should be guidance that when the police see you covering your face, that can be a reason for stop and search and (that is) any face covering….”
In response to a question about what three changes she’d like to see in London, she highlighted the need for more policing and a “fair allocation of social housing,” adding that families with “roots in London prioritised” should be favoured. Her third proposal, “Make London Great Again.”
What did Nigel Farage say about Laila Cunningham joining Reform UK?
The Reform leader said,
“Laila is an enormously talented, successful woman who will add to the professionalisation of our London team as we look forward to contesting 32 borough elections in May next year. We are taking this very seriously.”
He added,
“Clearly, there’ll be pockets in central London where we can do well. But I think the Outer Ring is very, very interesting.”
Nigel Farage’s ranking
- Nigel Farage vs Keir Starmer: 13% think Farage is as likely as Starmer to become PM.
- Reform’s Rise: Reform is polling over 20%, pushing Tories to third place.
- Majority Expectations: 12% expect a Reform majority, 14% expect Labour.
- Public Uncertainty: 41% don’t know who’ll win, but Reform voters back Farage.