In a city as left-leaning as London, Shaun Bailey’s mayoral bid might seem like a long shot. But the Conservative Party candidate is no stranger to overcoming obstacles.
Bailey, who grew up in public housing in one of the city’s roughest neighborhoods, has spent his career working with some of its most vulnerable residents. He founded Mygeneration, a charity that works with young people in deprived areas, and has served as an advisor on gangs and knife crime to both the UK government and the Metropolitan Police Service.
Now he’s taking on one of the biggest challenges of his career: winning over Londoners from all backgrounds and political persuasions as he campaigns to be their next mayor. It won’t be easy, but if anyone can do it, Shaun Bailey can.
Shaun Bailey: The Conservative Who Could Be Mayor of London
Shaun Bailey is a Conservative politician who has been nominated as the party’s candidate for Mayor of London in the 2020 London mayoral election. Bailey, who was born and raised in inner-city London, is a youth worker and political activist. He has worked with some of Britain’s most disadvantaged young people, providing them with support and guidance to turn their lives around.
Bailey has been an outspoken critic of what he sees as the failings of the Labour Party’s approach to tackling crime and social disadvantage. He has argued that Labour policies have made life harder for those they are supposed to help, and that only the Conservatives can deliver real change for Londoners.
If elected Mayor of London, Bailey promises to cut crime rates, improve public transport, make housing more affordable, and create jobs through investment in small businesses. He argues that his experience working with young people from all backgrounds gives him the insight and expertise needed to deliver on these promises.
Bailey is a controversial figure within the Conservative Party, with some seeing him as too right-wing while others view him as a breath of fresh air. His nomination as candidate for Mayor of London shows that he commands significant support within the party, and it will be interesting to see how well he performs in the 2020 election campaign.
Shaun Bailey’s Conservatism and Its Potential to Resonate in London
On 8 September 2020, Shaun Bailey won the Conservative mayoral primary in London, making him the party’s candidate for Mayor of London in the upcoming 2021 election. This victory makes Bailey the first black man to be selected as a major party’s candidate for Mayor of London.
Born and raised in inner-city London, Bailey has been outspoken about the challenges facing working class Britons, especially those from minority backgrounds. He has argued that immigration has contributed to wage stagnation and housing shortages; that too much government spending results in high taxes that hit hardest at those on low incomes; and that left-wing politicians have failed to address issues like knife crime and drugs.
These themes are likely to resonate with many voters in London, who are feeling the pinch from austerity measures, high living costs, and insecurity about their future prospects. Brexit is also likely to play a role in the campaign, with Bailey arguing that leaving the European Union will give Britain more control over its borders and allow it to place greater emphasis on skilled workers from outside the EU.
If elected, Bailey would be the first Conservative mayor of London since Boris Johnson left office in 2016. And while he faces an uphill battle against Labour incumbent Sadiq Khan in a city that has been trending leftward in recent years, his experience as a youth worker and successful entrepreneur make him a uniquely qualified candidate who could tap into growing dissatisfaction with Khan’s performance among even some traditional Labour voters.
Shaun Bailey’s Path to the Mayoralty and What It Could Mean for London
Shaun Bailey was born and raised in London. He comes from a working-class background, and his father was a bus driver. Shaun attended a state comprehensive school before going on to study politics at the University of Manchester. After university, he worked for several years as a youth worker in some of London’s most disadvantaged areas. This experience showed him the true extent of the problems facing many young people in the city.
In 2006, Shaun set up Mygeneration, a charity that helps young people from disadvantaged backgrounds into employment. He has also worked as an advisor to both the Conservative Party and the British government on social policy issues.
In 2018, Shaun announced his candidacy for Mayor of London in the 2020 election. If elected, he would be the first black Conservative mayor of any major Western city.
Shaun’s mayoral campaign is built around three main pillars: tackling crime, improving transport infrastructure, and creating more opportunities for young Londoners. On crime, Shaun has pledged to put more police officers on the streets and crack down on knife crime specifically. He has also promised to invest in new transport infrastructure projects like Crossrail 2 and expand cycle lanes across London. Lastly, Shaun wants to create more apprenticeships and training opportunities for young people so they can get good jobs regardless of their background or postcode
