Lib Dem mayoral candidate Rob Blackie campaigning for ‘every last vote’ before Londoners head to polls

The Liberal Democrat mayoral candidate is campaigning “for every last vote” just a day before Londoners head to the polls.

Rob Blackie, who was out canvassing in New Malden on Wednesday morning, said Lib Dem support is on the rise in London.

The 51-year-old whose main campaign pledge is to “fix the Met Police” was joined by Sarah Olney, MP for Richmond Park amongst other party members.

“Liberal Democrat support is up in London. People are very enthusiastic about our promise to fix the Met Police to get police back on the front line and to cut crime,” Mr Blackie told LondonWorld.

“We’re also helped by the fact that the Conservatives have collapsed in London. Their vote is down. People are really not enthusiastic about the Conservative Party right now.

“People are also very disappointed about Sadiq Khan’s record, particularly on crime.”

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For his final campaign push, Sadiq Khan set out a “contract with Londoners”, which included 10 pledges. These included making free school meals permanent, building 40,000 new council homes, and funding more youth clubs.

In contrast Mr Blackie put out an alternative 10 pledges that Mr Khan failed to achieve from his 2021 manifesto. These included delivering a ferry at Hammersmith Bridge, ending rough sleeping and establishing a London Drugs Commission.

Mr Khan is fighting for his third term as mayor of London, and says the voter ID laws and the voting system will make this election the “closest capital contest yet”.

This year’s mayoral election will be the first time the election uses the first-past-the-post system, replacing the previous 'supplementary vote'.

Throughout his campaign Mr Khan has warned voters that the election is a “close two-horse race” between him and his Tory opponent Susan Hall. He is asking Green and Lib Dem voters to lend him their votes to prevent a Tory victory.

Lib Dem MP Sarah Olney said the Labour incumbent shouldn’t have to rely on the votes of people who do not want a Tory mayor.

“For us I think there’s a great opportunity here for people to say to Sadiq Khan you can’t just rely on the votes of people who don’t want a Tory mayor,” Ms Olney told LondonWorld.

“You’ve got to go out and win those votes for yourself. I think it's a really excellent opportunity for people to say: ‘Look I don’t want the Tories running London but you’ve not done well enough, Sadiq. This has not been good enough.’” 

“That would be my reflection on his time as mayor. It's been very so-so.”

Mr Blackie’s main policies include fixing the Met by adding more police to the front line and introducing a London passport for EU citizens.

He has promised to end bus cuts and to invest more in Tube maintenance, if elected.

The London mayoral election is on Thursday May 2, along with elections to the London Assembly. Voters are reminded they need photo ID following the introduction of new legislation.