London mayor election 2024: 13 candidates make the cut

The mayor's office relocated to the Royal Docks in March 2022

A total of 13 candidates have thrown their hat into the ring to be the next mayor of London.

It compares with 20 who paid the £10,000 deposit to enter the contest in 2021.

Former actor Laurence Fox was denied a chance to stand a second time because of "errors" with his nomination papers.

It comes as the four main candidates have also been on the campaign trail for the last time before the Easter break.

The candidates who are standing, listed in alphabetical order, are:

• Femy Amin, Animal Welfare Party - People, Animals, Environment

• Count Binface, Count Binface for Mayor of London

• Rob Blackie, Liberal Democrat

• Natalie Denise Campbell, Independent

• Howard Cox, ReformUK - London Deserves Better

• Amy Gallagher, Social Democratic Party

• Zoë Garbett, Green Party

• Tarun Ghulati, Independent

• Susan Mary Hall, Conservative Party

• Sadiq Khan, Labour Party

• Andreas Christoffi Michli, Independent

• Brian Benedict Rose, London Real Party - Transform London

• Nick Scanlon, Britain First - No To Immigration

Visiting a stables in Barnet in north London, Sadiq Khan said "levelling up" did not have to punish London - as Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer launched the party's local election campaign by backing the policy, which was created by former prime minister and London mayor Boris Johnson.

Mr Khan posed for pictures with horses to illustrate his point the mayoral race is a "two-horse race" with the Conservatives' Susan Hall.

Sadiq Khan visited a stables in north London on Thursday to illustrate what he sees as a "two-horse race"

"You don't make our country more equal by making our capital poorer," he said.

Sir Keir has pledged more devolution of powers and money to mayors and local authorities, but Mr Khan could not say whether City Hall would be given any new powers or revenue under a Labour government.

'War on motorists'

Meanwhile, Ms Hall is focusing her campaign on what she called a "war on motorists".

Asked about the need for tolls on both the Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels, the Conservative mayoral candidate said: "I think all forms of transport are needed and we need to keep our city moving.

"I am listening to Londoners, and one of their biggest concerns is expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone which I will stop on day one."

The Greens vowed to introduce a new levy on big music venues to help grassroots music, theatre and arts.

Their candidate, Zoe Garbett, said: "We think that there's a way of working with councils to redistribute, through a licence model, a bit of the profit from tickets from large venues to smaller venues.

"So it wouldn't be pushing that down to the person buying the ticket, it's more about the existing margins."

Green candidate Zoe Garbett said a ticket levy would not be pushed "down to the person buying the ticket"

At the Silvertown Tunnel construction site in south-east London, the Liberal Democrats unveiled a sign saying: "Sadiq Khan Motorway."

The tunnel is due to open next year, with a toll charge in place for both that route and the nearby Blackwall Tunnel.

Lib Dem candidate Rob Blackie claimed he would allow only low-carbon vehicles to use it, and be more transparent about the pollution it will cause.

"This tunnel makes a mockery of Sadiq Khan's claim to be the greenest mayor ever," he said.

Lib Dem candidate Rob Blackie said the Silvertown Tunnel project was "the opposite" of cutting pollution

"The way to cut pollution and climate change is to encourage people to walk, bicycle and use public transport. This multi-billion pound project does exactly the opposite."

Anyone wanting to stand to be mayor had to submit nomination forms signed by 330 electors, 10 from each London local authority.

London Elects said representatives of Laurence Fox and the Reclaim party submitted their papers close to Wednesday's afternoon deadline, but: "Upon inspection, the nomination forms contained errors which - the deadline having passed - were too late for Mr Fox's team to correct.

"The conclusion of London Elects was that the requirements of the nomination process were not completed by the deadline."

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