Natalie Campbell, an independent candidate running for London mayor, has said she will take a “CEO’s approach” to leading the capital because the “party-political system is broken”.
Ms Campbell grew up in north-west London, and she is the co-CEO of the social enterprise Belu Water. She been the chancellor of the University of Westminster since 2022.
Speaking to The Independent, she said: “I absolutely love this city, but I know it’s not working anymore for most people.
“There is a £17bn budget available to make sure that people at least have an opportunity to live well, and it’s being totally squandered by the current mayor.
“When I was 15, I told myself that I want to see change in this city. London should have got better since then, but I do not believe that it has that it has.”
Ms Campbell took aim at the Labour and Conservative candidates, adding “party-political system doesn’t serve the people, it serves the interests of power within a party”.
“Unlike politicians, a CEO knows the buck stops and ends with them,” she said.
“My position as an independent is that I don’t have to plead any political party.
“Londoners are my boss. I’m very clear on that.”
Ms Campbell pledged to match current mayor Sadiq Khan’s pledge to build 40,000 homes by the end of the decade.
“Put the right homes in the right places so that we do not displace the communities that already live there,” she added.
The independent candidate would introduce “hyper-local policing” with 320 new police neighbourhood centres on the capital’s high streets.
Ms Campbell also said she will introduce a “tourist tax” to help fund her pledge to end youth homelessness within her first term.
“I want a London that is free from party interference, and with my CEO’s approach, i have a credible plan to make London feel like London again,” she told The Independent.
Her main manfesto pledges include:
- Detailing where every penny of the budget is being spent, working with Londoners, not against them
- Good homes and happy neighbourhoods: 40,000 affordable homes being built to buy and rent
- End youth homelessness in London by 2028
- 320 new neighbourhood centres with community support services co-located on high streets
- Back freelancers and entrepreneurs and ensure that every young person has a high-quality job that meets their ambition
- London will be a world leader in environmental stewardship and have a transport system that is affordable and equitable
You can read Natalie Campbell’s full manifesto here.
Voters can cast their ballot in person on 2 May, by post or by proxy. Find your nearest polling station here.
Everyone will need to show photo ID at polling stations before they vote.
The results will be announced at City Hall on Saturday 4 May.
