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Sir Sadiq Khan could face a new challenger for the post of Mayor of London at the next election in 2028 as Tory grandee Sir James Cleverly dropped a heavy hint that he will throw his hat in the ring. Sir James, 56, was a member of the Greater London Authority before being elected to the House of Commons as the Member of Parliament for Braintree, Essex.

More recently the Tory Shadow Cabinet member ran to be leader of the Conservative Party in 2024 but did not manage to get through to the final two, being pipped by Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick. A popular figure in the London Conservative Party, Sir James was the London Assembly Member for Bexley and Bromley from 2008 and 2016. He went on to become the leader of the party in London in 2011 before becoming an MP in 2015.

"Labour's failures at a national level and in London are right in my face," Sir James said. When asked if he would consider making arun for the position of London Mayor next election he said "of course, I think about it." Sir James was rumoured to be considering going for the job at the last election, in 2024, but ultimately did not appear in the Conservative Party selection process.

He told The House magazine: "The more you get involved with local government-related stuff, the more you get involved with housing, the more Labour's failures at a national level and in London are right in my face."

Former Mayoral Candidate, Susan Hall, told the Express this morning that she had "always been a massive supporter of James" adding that she felt he would "make an incredible London Mayor".

Ms Hall described the job as the "best in the country" saying it was "time we had someone who loved our great city again and I know he does. Having been an Assembly Member he knows how it all works, I shall be the first in the queue to help him if he decides to stand."

Sir Sadiq, who has controlled London since 2016 and is currently the city's longest serving Mayor, has come under criticism from Sir James, who has often said the Mayor tries to blame previous Conservative governments for any and all shortcomings in the capital. Now, Sir James says, the Mayor has "no one else to blame".

Neil Garratt, a Conservative Assembly Member told the Express: "Conservatives have always had the right ideas to get London back on track, not just as a great world city but as a great place to live. But we haven't always managed to communicate that to Londoners, nor our passion for every corner of this wonderful city. That's what James would bring."

With the London election two years away, it is likely that the Conservative Party will commence their selection process to seek out a candidate soon. Last time around they commenced the process more than a year out from the elections, and have since faced pressure to do so sooner this time around. Sir Sadiq has hinted before that he would like to run for the position again - he told journalists in September last year that it was his intention to stand again, and in February this year appeared to confirm it saying he had "already worked out" his campaign.

At present the incumbent Mayor is the only Mayor since the positions were created to have served for more than two terms, and is electorally the most popular politician in the city, having swept into office some 250,000 votes ahead of his nearest rival, the Conservative Party's Susan Hall, last election.

However Sir James said his immediate focus was on his role as a local MP, as well as campaigning in the forthcoming local elections. He said: "I'm not in the mood for being distracted by very flattering speculation about what I might do next."

The next Mayoral election will not be until 2028.