With City Hall in financial chaos and the mayor threatening to cut 3,600 police amid riots, Shaun Bailey has less than a year to sort out his public image to pose a proper challenge to Sadiq. Guido understands amidst staff turnover, the Tories’ mayoral campaign has brought in new comms outfit 5654 and company partner James Starkie to refocus the campaign. Starkie recently left government after working as chief of staff to Priti Patel, previously of Dominic Raab’s leadership campaign…

5654 – who proclaim specialisation in helping clients “to earn a reputation” – have been brought in by campaign director Ben Mallet, himself only poached in February as part of a Team Shaun top team overhaul. The campaign will have to scoop up almost all of Rory’s abandoned supporters to have a hope of catching up with Sadiq…

Sadiq Khan has today threatened police cuts of almost £110 million – and £290 million in transport cuts – if the government refuses to cough up for the £500 million City Hall Funding black hole Khan now presides over. Based on the Labour party’s own election figures, £110 million is the cost of 3,600 officers’ wages…

Khan announced the cuts to capital law and order in the wake of two nights of police attacks – the first in Brixton, the latter in Notting Hill – by out-of-control party-goers, which have resulted in 22 police injuries.

Khan knows he could never cut the police in the run up to an election year – this smacks of a blatant attempt to blackmail extra funds from the government. One silver lining of his proposed spending plans are £59 million earmarked cuts to City Hall – reversing the 82% staffing cost rise seen under Sadiq…

Sadiq Khan has launched yet another PR stunt today, announcing he has taken a voluntary pay cut of more than £15,000 in an attempt to balance London’s finances amid the Coronavirus squeeze. Of course, he simultaneously asked for millions from the Government to bail out local authorities…

Khan – whose £152,000 wage is £20,000 more than Boris Johnson receives for being Prime Minister – may not feel the pandemic’s pinch in his pocket, unlike millions of London taxpayers. The 10% reduction is meaningless when under Khan’s watch, staffing costs for City Have have risen by 82%, from £36 million to £65.5 million.

If the government plan on helping out the London Assembly’s finance black hole, relief surely has to be linked to a commitment from Sadiq to clear out his bloated gravy train’s passengers…

Sadiq Khan refused to attend the London Assembly today, entering the sixth week he has avoided scrutiny from MLA’s. Assembly Members have been attempting to get Sadiq to return to work, answering questions as he ordinarily would. He’s managed to wriggle out of them as nothing was scheduled previously do to the expected election…

Khan’s office claimed he was too busy to answer questions, yet the Mayor has had time to answer celebrity questions about how he’s coping with lockdown and what books, TV shows, and albums he’s been relaxing with at home. Why is Sadiq hiding when he has serious questions to answer over decisions he made for the transport system.

Bolshy new Corbynista MP Sam Tarry was candid with Dan Wooton on TalkRADIO yesterday evening. The former TSSA transport union official sounded off about the poor PPE and late decision making for TfL workers:

“In London for example 26 bus drivers lost their lives because, you know, there’s a strong argument they didn’t have either the right PPE, or certainly it took a long while to shut off certain entrances onto the bus.”

Who is responsible for decisions surrounding transport in London? Mayor Sadiq Khan…

After sleeping with as many Londoners as possible, Rory Stewart has just announced – in a yet to be released Evening Standard interview – that he is pulling out of the London Mayoral Election (which, of course, is not currently happening due to the Coronavirus). More to follow…

UPDATE: An email just sent to supporters explains:

“I am afraid it does not seem sensible in the context of Coronavirus to try to sustain our independent campaign for another year towards a delayed election.

I want to thank you particularly for your belief and professionalism. We really achieved something remarkable – probably the most successful and engaged independent movement in recent British political history – and I am only sorry that Covid prevented us bringing all that energy and passion into the 2020 election.”