Alex Challoner seeks Tory nomination for London Mayor

Businessman Alex Challoner has announced his candidacy for the Conservative nomination for Mayor of London in 2028. He is one of three candidates currently vying for the party's backing, aiming to challenge the incumbent Sadiq Khan.

Proposals for Public Transport and Housing

Challoner’s platform includes a significant proposal to tackle fare dodging on the London Underground. He advocates for the visible presence of uniformed British Transport Police officers at Tube station ticket gates, supported by plain clothes officers operating across the network. Under his plan, fare evaders would face arrest and prosecution. Additionally, he suggests that Transport for London staff should be trained to actively challenge fare dodgers and assist officers at the gates, rather than merely recording incidents. Fare evasion is reported to cost TfL approximately £190 million annually.

Regarding housing policy, Challoner intends to replace the existing London Plan, a document described as running to hundreds of pages, with a concise 30-page version. His team stated this shorter plan would retain essential rules while removing those that impede developers from building the homes desired by Londoners.

Economic and Social Policies

Further policy pledges include reducing VAT on gym memberships, a measure he believes will address men’s mental health issues. He also plans to eliminate VAT for independent London brewers through a Mayoral rebate scheme.

Challoner stated his ambition is to reverse what he perceives as a decline in London under Sadiq Khan's leadership. He expressed a belief that the Conservative party needs to adopt bolder strategies to secure victory in the next mayoral election.

Selection Process

Challoner is competing for the nomination against James Cleverly and Festus Akinbusoye. The deadline for candidates to express their interest was September 30th. A selection panel will narrow down the field to two finalists, followed by hustings and a vote by party members, with the final selection anticipated before the end of the year, as reported by Kumail Jaffer for the Barnet Post.