Penny Mordaunt: London has some serious problems. It needs a serious candidate – namely, Andrew Boff

Good luck to all three of our wonderful Mayoral candidates. All would bring vibrancy and skills to fight the campaign our Party needs. One in particular would also bring what London needs.

In government the changes we are able to enact and the difference to people’s lives that we can make, hinge upon what vision we have for the people we serve. Our successes and failures are often decided on whether or not we are willing to put forward a bold plan that challenges the status quo, that says yes to innovation, and that doesn’t shy away from the difficult decisions.

Since taking over from Boris Johnson two years ago, Sadiq Khan has failed London: he has failed to address our crime epidemic, failed to tackle pollution, and has left London at the mercy of the irresponsible unions. It’s clear the Mayor doesn’t have what it takes to deliver for the people that elected him.

But we have to be honest; despite Khan’s dismal record, taking City Hall is a challenge for our party. To win we need a candidate who has a bold vision and can demonstrate the difference Conservatives can make to people’s lives. They will need radical and innovative policies to tackle London’s challenges. They will need an energy and drive to motivate and deliver. And they will need courage.

That is why I am backing Andrew Boff to be the next Mayor of London.

Andrew holds unparalleled experience in holding Sadiq Khan to account. Every time we see Andrew challenge Sadiq, he reminds us of how he can beat Labour in London. Through his many years of public service, first leading a council and then as a GLA Assembly Member, he has shown that he is a true champion for London and a formidable campaigner.

Last week Andrew launched his ‘Manifesto for Change’, a document that sets out bold and comprehensive policies that will reform our capital city and prepare London for the future.

His policies aren’t rooted in ideology; their foundations are in research, logic and common sense.

He believes that people are better spending their own money than any administration, so his record is one of tax cuts. The Taxpayer’s Alliance has endorsed his policies including cutting council tax which will let Londoners keep more of their money.

On crime, Andrew will not only support the police to increase ‘stop and search’ and put more visible police officers back onto London’s streets; those policies are part of a much wider approach to bring together the public sector and tackle London’s crime epidemic.

And he is serious about ending a situation which has left London at the mercy of irresponsible unions and strikes. He will bring the Underground into the 21st century.

To deliver for Londoners, our candidate must have vision, a plan, knowledge and immense experience, strength and courage. Andrew does.

In 2016 we lost the Mayorship; last year we lost six seats in the capital and barely held on to those we won. More of the same just won’t do it. Unless we as a party are prepared to put forward a candidate who speaks the language of Londoners and who is brave enough to propose radical ideas and steely enough to deliver them, we risk finding ourselves out of office until 2024.

I’m backing Boff because I want us to win the keys to City Hall. Londoners need us to.

He will take responsibility, he will grasp the problems, he will work tirelessly to deliver, and he will lead. That’s what London needs its Mayor to do. So let’s give them someone who will.