Reform’s Laila Cunningham Backs Burka Ban and Zero-Tolerance Crime Drive to Take on Sadiq Khan

Summary: Reform UK has unveiled Laila Cunningham as its London mayoral candidate, pitching a hardline “zero-tolerance” crime agenda and arguing for tougher policing across the capital. In a wide-ranging interview, Cunningham said she would back restricting face coverings in public, criticised City Hall’s priorities, and vowed to scrap Ulez and the congestion charge if elected.

Reform unveils “zero-tolerance” mayoral pitch

Reform UK has introduced Laila Cunningham as its candidate for mayor of London, positioning her as a law-and-order challenger to Sadiq Khan ahead of the 2028 contest.

Speaking at her launch alongside Nigel Farage, Cunningham framed her campaign around public safety and visible policing, promising tougher direction for the Metropolitan Police and a rewrite of the London police and crime plan.

“There will be a new sheriff in town, and I’ll be launching an all-out war on crime.”

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Cunningham, a former Crown Prosecution Service lawyer and current Westminster City councillor, has drawn attention for a highly personal “vigilante mum” story, describing how she tracked down the person who mugged one of her children and called police.

Face coverings and a proposed “burka ban” approach

In the interview, Cunningham described herself as a Muslim while arguing that full-face coverings should not be normalised in public life.

Rather than focusing narrowly on religious dress, she said she would treat face coverings more broadly as a policing trigger, linking it to street crime and anti-social behaviour.

“I would give orders to the police that any face coverings are a reason for stop and search. You shouldn’t cover your face.”

She also claimed mask-wearing during the pandemic was ineffective, and argued that debates around religious clothing are tied to wider public anxiety about extremism and social cohesion.

“I understand the fear people have with Islam. I fear radical Islam just as anyone. Islamic terrorism is one of the biggest threats we face.”

Her comments sit inside a live political dispute for Reform, after internal controversy last year over whether the party should formally support restrictions on the burka or other face coverings.

Crime, policing priorities, and contested statistics

Cunningham’s core message is that Londoners feel less safe, regardless of what headline figures say, and that policing visibility has collapsed in many areas.

She pointed to routine street crime and said the Met’s focus should be on “actual crime” rather than what she described as misaligned priorities.

“I speak to people, they don’t seem to see police on the streets… I want specialist forces dealing with actual crime.”

She claimed knife crime is significantly higher than it was in the mid-2010s, while acknowledging London has long dealt with serious violence. Khan’s office has previously highlighted reductions in some homicide measures, underscoring how political arguments often hinge on which metrics are selected.

Analysts note that under-reporting, changes in recording practices, and shifting categories of crime can fuel contradictory claims, even when drawing from official sources.

Transport, Ulez, and the “cost of living in London” argument

Beyond crime, Cunningham pledged to scrap Ulez and the congestion charge, arguing that driver-facing costs are pushing families and workers out of the city.

She also criticised Transport for London and spoke against Tube strikes, including support for more automation on the Underground.

Khan’s supporters point to air-quality improvements and public health arguments for emissions schemes, while opponents focus on household budgets, small business costs, and fairness across outer London.

What this means for Reform and the wider political map

Cunningham’s pitch is designed to broaden Reform’s appeal in the capital by combining a tough crime message with a cultural-integration argument and a strong critique of Labour-run City Hall.

It also signals a strategy of using local elections as a platform to demonstrate organisational strength, build name recognition, and pressure both Labour and the Conservatives in key boroughs.

For the Conservatives, her candidacy underlines Reform’s attempt to occupy the “law, order, and everyday safety” space traditionally associated with the right, while openly attacking Tory figures viewed as symbolising past failures.

If Reform can convert high-profile messaging into borough-level wins, it would reshape the run-up to 2028 by changing what London’s mayoral race is “about”: not party identity, but public confidence in policing and day-to-day order.