Greg Hands welcomes the selection of Stephen Greenhalgh for the Conservative Party’s London Mayoral Election candidate shortlist.
Member of Parliament for Chelsea and Fulham, Greg Hands, has welcomed the selection of Stephen Greenhalgh, London’s Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, and former leader of Hammersmith & Fulham Council, for the Conservative Party’s shortlist of potential candidates for next year’s London mayoral election.
Greg is proud to be the patron of Mr Greenhalgh’s campaign. He did, however, publicly acknowledge that all four candidates are of a high standard, tweeting:
The three rival candidates whom Mr Greenhalgh faces are Andrew Boff, leader of the London Assembly Conservative Group; Syed Kamall, MEP for London, Chairman of the European Conservatives and Reformists, and leader of the Conservative Party in the European Parliament; and Zac Goldsmith, Member of Parliament for Richmond Park.
In response to Stephen Greenhalgh’s selection, Greg said, “Recently, I have been to Conservative Party hustings, and heard our various candidates set out their stalls: it is a hugely impressive field. But my friend Stephen stands out for two reasons.
“First, he knows his onions. His knowledge of the challenges that London faces is very strong. He has 19 years’ experience in London government, notably as the greatest council leader we ever had in Hammersmith & Fulham. Stephen defied all conventional wisdom, took on the establishment, and won. He slashed council tax five out of six years, by 3 per cent annually. He cut crime in the Borough, made it the Free School capital of Britain, and encouraged regeneration.
“Second, Stephen seems to me to be the candidate most keen to do the job actually on offer. I know Stephen well: cut him and he bleeds London. He does not want to be an MP, or a member of the House of Lords, or of the European Parliament, or any similar role. He is a Londoner first and foremost, and the only candidate who has done a proper apprenticeship to be mayor of London.
“Let’s get a proper Londoner, with a plan for London’s future. Let’s choose Stephen Greenhalgh.”