You don’t just need a big ego to run; you need a nomination paper signed by 330 registered voters from across London. Plus, you have to cough up a deposit of £10,000—which you lose if you get less than 5% of the vote. That’s why you’ll never see “Vote for Gary the Plumber” on the ballot. Crying shame, really.
Most serious candidates are from the big parties: Labour, Conservatives, Lib Dems, Greens. But independents and smaller parties do pop up, usually with a manifesto promising free unicorns or to ban rush hour. The key? You have to be really sure you want the job—because the Mayor controls the Metropolitan Police, transport, housing, and the city’s £20 billion budget. No pressure.
The Campaign: Loud, Expensive, and Full of Buses
Campaigning officially starts weeks before election day. You’ll see giant posters of candidates grinning like they’ve just discovered avocados. There will be leaflets shoved through your door, debates where they shout about Ulez (the ultra-low emission zone, basically a tax on your car), and at least one candidate riding a bike to prove they’re “green.” It’s exhausting, but we love the drama.
London Mayoral Election 2026: Sadiq Khan wins historic third term as
And let’s not forget the TV debates. These are glorious trainwrecks where the incumbent mayor gets grilled about why the tube still smells like a wet dog. The other candidates circle like sharks, promising to fix everything in 48 hours. Spoiler: They never fix it that fast.
