Festus Akinbusoye, a Conservative councillor in Westminster and former Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner, has announced his bid to become the party’s candidate for Mayor of London in the 2028 election.
Akinbusoye’s announcement puts him in competition with former Home Secretary Sir James Cleverly, who has also entered the Conservative selection contest. The eventual winner will face the wider London mayoral election.
Akinbusoye is expected to make public safety and policing major parts of his campaign.
Drawing on his experience as a former police and crime commissioner, he has argued that London needs stronger action on crime and disorder and better support for police officers.
Housing affordability is another central issue. Akinbusoye has called for more homes to be built and says London should be a city where working families and young people can afford to remain.
His campaign describes his vision as making London “affordable enough to stay, safe enough to live, and full of opportunity in every borough.”
Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Akinbusoye moved to Britain at age 13 and grew up in East London. He later became Britain’s first Black police and crime commissioner when he was elected in Bedfordshire in 2021.
He was elected to Westminster City Council in May 2026.
The Conservative Party has yet to select its candidate for the 2028 London mayoral election.
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