Sarah Olney, the Liberal Democrat MP for Richmond, has entered the race for London mayor in the election scheduled for 4 May 2028. She proposes a business‑elected deputy mayor, renewed housing efforts and reopening police front counters closed under previous administrations. The Conservatives already have two declared hopefuls—Sir James Cleverly and Festus Akinbusoye—while Reform UK has selected Laila Cunningham and the Greens may field a candidate. Sir Sadiq Khan has not yet confirmed whether he will stand for a fourth term.
Sarah Olney Joins Crowded Race For 2028 London Mayor: A Closer Look At The Early Line-Up
Richmond Park MP Sarah Olney said she wants to be London's mayor [BBC]
Richmond MP Sarah Olney has formally declared her bid to become the next mayor of London, joining a growing field of contenders aiming to replace Sir Sadiq Khan at City Hall in May 2028.
Olney Sets Out Priorities
A former accountant and the Liberal Democrats' business spokesperson, Olney used a sunny Thursday press appearance to outline her platform. She proposed creating a deputy mayor chosen by London businesses to drive growth, pledged to focus on building better homes, and called for the reopening of closed police front counters in local communities.
Boris Johnson is the only Conservative to become mayor of London - Zac Goldsmith was defeated in 2016 [PA Media]
“There are people who are prepared to vote Lib Dem, who want to vote Lib Dem,” Olney told BBC London. “The real opportunity that this mayoral campaign gives us is to take that message to those people.”
Olney has represented a London constituency on and off for nearly a decade, winning a surprise 2016 by-election against Zac Goldsmith, briefly losing the seat back to him and then reclaiming it at the 2019 general election. The Lib Dems have never won the mayoralty but do control several south‑west London councils and are in coalition with the Greens in Southwark.
Other Declared Candidates And Party Positioning
The Conservative contest already features two declared candidates: Sir James Cleverly, who resigned from the shadow cabinet to run after serving as home secretary and briefly as foreign secretary, and Festus Akinbusoye, a former police and crime commissioner expected to make policing and public safety central to his campaign.
Laila Cunningham said there would be "a new sheriff in town" as she was announced as Reform's candidate for London mayor [PA Media]
Reform UK has confirmed Laila Cunningham as its candidate; she has pledged a tough, law‑and‑order approach. The Greens may field a candidate too—Zoë Garbett, who stood for the Greens in 2024, is now mayor of Hackney, and Green leader Zack Polanski is also being discussed, though he is currently focused on a by‑election.
Labour And The Incumbent
Labour’s position remains uncertain. Sir Sadiq Khan has repeatedly deferred announcing whether he will seek a fourth term, saying he will set out his intentions about a year before the election. Asked again by BBC London, he echoed that approach and noted his previous successful timing of announcements.
“Over the next two years, you’ll have all sorts of people from Count Binface to these others standing ... I’ll do what I’ve always done, which is the year before the election, set up my intentions to run or not,” Sir Sadiq said.
Why This Race Matters
The mayor of London holds one of the largest personal electoral mandates in the UK: the Greater London Authority mayoral constituency includes around 6.2 million registered voters. The next mayoral election is scheduled for 4 May 2028, setting the stage for a campaign focused on policing, housing, economic growth and local services.
As nominations and internal selections continue over the coming months, Londoners can expect an increasingly competitive and policy‑heavy race for City Hall.
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