The Labour Party candidate Ali Milani is a 24-year-old Muslim candidate who describes himself as the “antithesis” of Mr Johnson.
Mr Milani first encountered Boris Johnson as a 20-year-old student in 2015 when he visited a hustings for his next MP, when he called on the MP to install a ballot box at Brunel University.
The local press described the encounter as a “blasting” and since that time the rivalry between the pair has increased.
Johnson has the smallest constituency majority of any prime minister since 1924.
However, the Labour Party will need to overcome the money and energy the Conservatives will put into their leader’s seat to stand a chance of winning.
Speaking to the New Statesman, Mr Milani said: “This isn’t just about unseating Boris.
“Yes, it would be a historic moment, and we are absolutely up for the fight.
“But we talk to people about the issues facing their lives – housing, the hospital, GPs, their local schools – as someone who’s their neighbour as well as their representative.”
