Cleverly brands Burnham 'very, very anti-London' and calls Farage a 'toddler' in mayoral interviews
Andy Burnham, who faces Lord Jim O'Neill's public warning that soaring benefits must be cut rather than taxes raised, pictured at the unveiling of No10 North.James Cleverly is set to accuse Prime Minister Andy Burnham of stripping hundreds of millions of pounds from London council budgets to consolidate power in Manchester.Labour's Steve Reed is expected to hit back at James Cleverly, arguing that a senior member of the Conservative government cut London's police, doubled homelessness and starved London of funding.
James Cleverly used a round of Sunday morning interviews to mount a double attack on Andy Burnham and Nigel Farage, accusing the Prime Minister of stripping hundreds of millions from London council budgets and dismissing Reform as offering nothing beyond toddler-style grievances. Cleverly had stepped down from Kemi Badenoch's shadow cabinet on Saturday to pursue the Conservative nomination for the 2028 London mayoral contest, and he made clear on Sunday that his campaign will focus squarely on Labour's record in the capital. Badenoch has called on other potential candidates to put their names forward, leaving Cleverly without a confirmed path to the Tory nomination yet.
Cleverly said that Burnham's devolution drive amounts to 'centralising power in his own backyard' of Manchester at London's expense.
Reform's London mayoral candidate Laila Cunningham hit back, warning Cleverly risks becoming 'another Sadiq Khan' who ignores crime on the streets.
Cleverly insisted Braintree has 'zero chance' of returning a Reform MP, dismissing Farage's claim he was fleeing a safe-seat threat.
