Key facts
- Akinbusoye is challenging James Cleverly for the Conservative London mayor nomination.
- He was elected to Westminster Council in May and served three years as Bedfordshire's police and crime commissioner.
- His "A London Yes Plan" proposes using government powers to support housing starts.
- Westminster's proposed pub licensing rules have raised questions about his "pro-fun" pitch.
Festus Akinbusoye is seeking the Conservative Party's nomination to run for London mayor in 2028, pitching himself as a fresh, optimistic candidate against James Cleverly, City AM reported. Akinbusoye was elected to Westminster Council in May and previously served three years as Bedfordshire's police and crime commissioner.
His platform, which he calls the "A London Yes Plan," proposes using government powers to support housing starts, and he has described himself as the "most pro-fun" candidate. That pitch has drawn scrutiny over Westminster's proposed licensing rules for standing drinkers and pubs.
Cleverly's supporters argue his public profile and experience as a senior national politician make him the stronger candidate against Labour, which has held the mayoralty since 2016. The Conservatives choose their candidate first; the winner would face other parties' candidates in the 2028 election.