A new record of 20 candidates will be on the ballot paper for the London Mayor elections in May, smashing the previous record of 12 set in 2016, it was revealed today.
LondonElects, who are in charge of delivering the elections, released the official list of candidates this morning, which includes incumbent mayor Sadiq Khan, Conservative candidate Shaun Bailey, Liberal Democrat Luisa Porritt, the Greens’ Sian Berry and a raft of other party candidates and independents.
The election, moved back from 7 May 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, is now set to be held on Thursday 6 May, with the deadline to register to vote the 19th April.
There will also be London Assembly elections, covering both London-wide seats, and constituency seats, including five constituencies affecting south west London on the same day.
Greater London Returning Officer, Mary Harpley, said: “The Mayor and the London Assembly hold important and powerful roles.
“The winning Mayoral candidate will be responsible for issues that affect every Londoner – from transport and policing, to housing and the environment. 2016 saw a then-record number of 12 Mayoral candidates. This year, there will be 20, the largest number yet.
“It’s up to Londoners to make a decision on who will run the capital for the next three years. Our website tells you everything you need to know about these elections and what the Mayor and London Assembly Members are responsible for. Remember also to look out for the booklet coming through your letter-box in April.”
Voters will be asked to vote for both their first and second preferences in what’s called a Supplementary Vote system, and if no one candidate gets an outright 50% of the vote, then the top two candidates will go forward and second preferences will be included.
It was by this method that Labour candidate Khan was elected as Mayor of London in the 2016 election ahead of Conservative candidate Zac Goldsmith.
Khan secured 44% of the vote initially compared to Goldsmith’s 35%, and after the second preferences were added to their totals, Khan secured 57%, compared to Goldsmith’s 43%.
Having been asked to serve an extra year on his term due to the restrictions, Khan will be hoping to secure his second term, albeit a shorter one, as the next election is still slated for 2024.
Bailey is set to be Khan’s main challenger, with the Conservative candidate hoping to perform better than Goldsmith did four years ago, although a slew of independent challengers, including Laurence Fox and Brian Rose, are set to split the vote.
Postal and proxy voting are expected to play a big part in this election, with coronavirus restrictions still in place across the capital, although SWL did get a chance to see inside a COVID-secure polling station.
The deadline to sign up for a postal vote is 20 April, and the deadline for a proxy vote is 27 April, although emergency proxy votes can still be applied for up to 5pm on election day.
The full list of confirmed candidates for the 2021 London Mayor election is below:
Shaun Bailey – Conservative Party Candidate
Kam Balayev – Renew
Sian Berry – Green Party
Count Binface – Count Binface for Mayor of London
Valerie Brown – The Burning Pink Party
Piers Corbyn – Let London Live
Max Fosh – Independent
Laurence Fox – The Reclaim Party
Peter Gammons – UKIP
Richard Hewison – Rejoin EU
Vanessa Hudson – Animal Welfare Party – People, Animals, Environment
Steve Kelleher – Social Democratic Party
Sadiq Khan – Labour Party
David Kurten – Heritage Party
Farah London – Independent
Nims Obunge – Independent
Niko Omilana – Independent
Luisa Porritt – Liberal Democrats
Mandu Reid – Vote Women’s Equality Party on orange
Brian Rose – London Real Party
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