Laurence Fox launches campaign to become London Mayor

Laurence Fox has promised to ‘unlock London’ and help people ‘reclaim their freedom’ as he launched his bid to become the city’s mayor.

The 42-year-old actor told a crowd in Westminster that Mayor Sadiq Khan ‘Khan’t’ be trusted to take the capital out of lockdown, saying he would end it in May if elected.

Mr Fox is standing as a candidate for the Reclaim Party that he set up last year to fight the ‘culture wars’ taking place in Britain.  

His campaign will be completely funded by a donation from ex-Tory political donor Jeremy Hosking.

Arriving on a ‘Free London’ branded battle bus, Mr Fox said: ‘I am not a politician. I never wanted to be a politician,’ before quipping that he ‘used’ to be an actor. 

Laurence Fox told a crowd in Westminster that he wanted to ‘reclaim your freedom’ and promised to ‘unlock London now’ if elected London mayor

‘We are here to reclaim your freedom and we need to unlock London now.

‘Someone needs to unlock London now, and I can tell you one thing: Sadiq Khant. And Sadiq Won’t. Sadiq Khan is ashamed to be British.’

An ardent opponent to the national lockdown, he will stand against Sadiq Khan in the 2021 London mayoral elections, which will be held on May 6. 

He added: ‘Freedom of speech is under threat in the cathedral of wokery that is London.’

Mr Fox also confirmed that he will refuse the vaccine until after 2023, when he claims clinical trials will be concluded.

‘It’s not going to do me any harm [not having it]. I think people should do what they want with their own bodies in terms of vaccinations. I should be private, like voting.’

Reform UK’s Richard Tice and Martín Daubney were also at the launch, according to the Guido Fawkes.

Fox is standing as a candidate for the Reclaim Party that he set up last year to fight the ‘culture wars’ taking place in Britain

Arriving on a ‘Free London’ branded battle bus, Fox said: ‘I am not a politician. I never wanted to be a politician’

It is understood Fox has made a deal for Mr Tice to support him during the campaign rather than standing a separate candidate against Sadiq Khan.

Shortly after the launch, Mr Khan unveiled his own ‘jobs, jobs, jobs’ pledge to spend £32m on employment assistance as part of his re-election campaign.

Speaking outside the Savoy Hotel, the mayor said the election is ‘a two-horse race’ and asked Londoners to ‘lend me their vote so we can focus on jobs, jobs, jobs’.

‘These new training academies will play a key role in helping Londoners get into good quality and well-paid jobs in the future,’ he added.

Shortly after Mr Fox’s Reclaim launch, Mr Khan unveiled his own ‘jobs, jobs, jobs’ pledge to spend £32m on employment assistance as part of his re-election campaign

Last week an Opinium/Evening Standard poll last week showed Khan with 53 per cent of the vote and a 25-point lead over Conservative candidate Shaun Bailey.

This puts the mayor on track to produce the largest ever landslide victory for a London mayor election.

Lib-Dem candidate Luisa Porritt and the Green’s Sian Berry each received 7 per cent, ahead of UKIP’s Peter Gammons on 2 per cent and Women’s Equality Party candidate Mandu Reid on 1 per cent.

Two per cent of respondents selected ‘another candidate’ which includes Mr Fox.