ConservativeHome's London Mayor blog

Nick Boles pulls out of race

I have just spoken to Nick Boles and he has decided to pull out of the mayoral race after having been diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease.  He has a very good chance of recovery but he will be very fatigued over the next few months and unable to devote his usual high levels of energy to campaigning.  The energy he does have will be devoted to his recently launched Good Neighbours initiative.

I wish Nick a full and speedy recovery and hope that he'll soon be back in the frontline of politics.  He is an exceptional talent.

Let's discuss the implications for the mayoral contest on another day and just wish Nick well in this thread.

Nick Boles launches Good Neighbours

Nick Boles, a prospective mayoral candidate, is today launching Good Neighbours, a scheme to help youth groups in deprived areas of London raise money from those generating new wealth in the City.

Most small, independent youth charities work with young people growing up in very different circumstances and receive little or no support from central or local government. Good Neighbours will work by linking grassroots youth projects with people and businesses in London who are financially successful and by offering ways for Londoners to give their time and money. It will encourage donors to make long-term commitments and to support the core costs of groups rather than just new projects, which so often attract statutory funding.

Good Neighbours has already started work with groups like Eastside Young Leaders Academy a leadership development initiative which works with young African Caribbean boys in Newham, and XLP which works with young people in Southwark, Lewisham, Greenwich, Bexley, Tower Hamlets and Newham.

Good Neighbours is partnering with a new charity, Future, which will vet youth groups seeking support and prepare reports for donors on the outcome of their investment. The challenge for Good Neighbours and Future will be to constantly seek out the small, grassroots charities always emerging as well as supporting the charities their support has already helped.

Nick Boles said:

"In recent months, London has seen a spate of gang murders involving children killing other children.  At the same time, just a few miles away, other Londoners have been making unprecedented fortunes from hedge funds, private equity and investment banking.I believe that the solution to London's problems lie within our own community. We are all neighbours in London.  And good neighbours help each other in times of need.

"I am confident that the people currently enjoying spectacular success in the City want to do their bit to give all of London's young people opportunities to learn and grow and to build confidence in themselves and their futures. But many of these new millionaires are busy people who work very hard and they need someone to make it easy for them. That is what Good Neighbours will do.

This is an excellent initiative of Nick Boles. Hopefully he will not be too distracted from Good Neighbours by his campaign for the mayoral nomination! 

Nicholas Boles to leave Policy Exchange to focus on mayoral campaign

As Iain Dale has already noted, Nick Boles has decided to step down from Policy Exchange after five very successful years.  He'll be focusing on his bid to become the Conservative candidate for Mayor of London.

Nick will be succeeded by Anthony Browne who will soon be leaving his post as Chief Political Correspondent to The Times.  Mr Browne adds to a heavyweight team that already includes Dean Godson, Stephen King, James O'Shaughnessy and Chairman Charles Moore.

Policy Exchange - which can credibly claim to be the most influential of the centre right think tanks on Project Cameron - focuses on three main themes: localism, the defence of liberal values; and a concern for low income families to have access to better housing and education.

Richard Barnes to run

Tonight's London Evening Standard (see Phil Taylor's blog) is reporting a fifth applicant to be Tory candidate for London Mayor.  London Assembly Member Richard Barnes will be entering the race and former Met Chief John Stevens will be one of his three referees - effectively meaning that London's former top police officer will not be running himself.

Meanwhile (1): Oliver Letwin has commented on the race to the London Evening Standard:

"[Nicholas Boles] is the current frontrunner and I think he is absolutely admirable."

I'm not sure that Nick will appreciate that intervention.

Meanwhile (2): Victoria Borwick has been interviewed by the Anyone but Ken blog.

Nick Boles to submit application for London Mayoralty process

In an exclusive statement for ConservativeHome on the mayoral primary process, Nick Boles confirms that he "will be submitting an application before the deadline on 4th August."  The statement, by the 2005 PPC for Hove and influential Director of the Policy Exchange think tank, reads like an American politician launching an exploratory bid for a presidential campaign.  "By the end of September," he writes, "I will know whether I have the broad base of support that our mayoral candidate will need."

"Lots of people have encouraged me to stand for the nomination as the Conservative Party's candidate for Mayor.  People from right across the London party.  And people who have never voted Conservative in their lives.

I'm very attracted by the idea of running for Mayor. It would be an opportunity to present a new face of Conservatism to the capital. I Iove London and believe it needs to be led by someone who unifies people and makes things work - neither of which can be said of Mr Livingstone.

So I can confirm that I will be submitting an application before the deadline on 4th August. But, for me, the decision to fill out a form is the least important part of the process.

What matters is what Londoners want from their mayor, and what Conservative supporters in London want from a Tory mayoral candidate.  That's why I have spent the last few weeks - and will spend much of August and September - talking to people right across London and asking them what they think, what are the issues they want to see their mayor tackle, and what approach they want him or her to take.

By the end of September, I will know whether I have the broad base of support that our mayoral candidate will need. And, at the point, I will set out my ideas on how to make London work better for all Londoners.

I hope that readers of ConservativeHome will get in touch with me directly to let me know what they think. About London. About Mr Livingstone. And about the idea of me as their mayoral candidate.  Good and bad. I want to hear it."

• Email Nick by clicking here.