A shock poll shows that the Tories’ candidate for London Mayor, Susan Hall, may be far closer to beating Sadiq Khan next year than anyone thought.
The new polling from The Times shows that Jeremy Corbyn standing in the election, as an independent candidate, would hand Susan Hall the keys to City Hall.
The former Labour leader would take 15 percent of the vote, according to the poll, and reduce Sadiq Khan’s support by 25 percent.
Susan Hall would end up beating the controversial ULEZ-expanding mayor by five points.
However even without Mr Corbyn standing, polls now show Sadiq Khan has just a one-point lead over Susan Hall – well within the polling margin of error.
If correct, this latest Sadiq Khan lead is down from eight points to one, just in the time since Ms Hall was selected as the Tory candidate three months ago.
The fact Mr Khan is only one point ahead of Ms Hall – despite years of Tory chaos, a large national Labour lead, and London growing increasingly anti-Tory post-Brexit – is a damning indictment on Mr Khan.
The Labour Mayor has spent years fighting culture war battles instead of tackling the capital’s knife crime epidemic and expanding the ULEZ despite fury among outer Londoners and hiking taxes while splashing millions on PR.
Ms Hall was selected for the Conservatives after a chaotic Tory candidate battle, in which multiple favourites were overlooked and a finalist had to quit the race amid sexual harassment allegations.
While less politically savvy than some of her Tory rivals, it’s thought Ms Halls’ ‘diamond in the rough’ style of right-wing politics will have large appeal.
She’s already pledged to scrap the ULEZ expansion the moment she gets into office, as well as abolish 20 mph speed limits.
The Tory candidate also wants to make the streets safer with a £200 million boost, and increase house building.
She previous slammed Sadiq Khan for going “on trips to cannabis factories (during a four-day tour of the US last year) while young people get stabbed on our streets.”
“He’s more interested in selling his book than he is helping Londoners with the cost of living. And when things go wrong, he hires an army of spin doctors to convince you it’s actually not his fault.
“I’ll do whatever it takes to win.”
Express.co.uk has contacted the London mayor’s office for comment.
