The Tory favourite, who is running against Mr Khan and ex-Cabinet member Rory Stewart for the role, hit out at the Labour politician over London’s out-of-control knife rime epidemic that last year saw a staggering 135 people murdered. The first victim of 2020 was killed on January 3 – three days after the New Year began. Mr Bailey told Express.co.uk 2019 will be “remembered as a year of crime and fear for Londoners”.
He said: “I know knife crime. I’ve had a machete pointed at me during my time as a youth worker. I’ve seen a boy bleeding out on the pavement after he was stabbed outside my office.
“Knife crime is terrifying and the impact it has on our communities is devastating.
“What makes this most recent surge in knife crime across London different is how brazen it has become.
“Hardly a day goes by without another stabbing in broad daylight. People are getting stabbed on buses, they’re getting stabbed on trains, and they’re even getting stabbed on their way to knife awareness courses. It’s madness.”
London’s horrific murder rate in 2019 was the highest it has been in the Capital for 11 years.
Mr Bailey has also taken aim at Mr Stewart’s campaign tactics following the Remainer’s announcement to leave his seat in Parliament to run in the race for Mayor of London.
Mr Bailey, who is in favour of Brexit, told LBC radio he thought it was “distressing” to find out the former Tory MP would run his campaign solely on Brexit rather than concentrating on the concerning levels of crime in the capital.
He said: “It’s incredible to me that everyone seems to be running their London campaigns on Brexit. I’m trying to have a conversation with nine million Londoners who are living in a city that’s riddled with crime.
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“So if someone’s coming to bring the focus to the challenges of London, and help us focus on finding a result, I’m all up for that.
“I just hope we don’t make it about personalities.”
The remarks come as Prime Minister Boris Johnson – who was London Mayor before Mr Khan – demanded the “useless” politician must go “immediately”.
After discussing the housing crisis, he turned his attention to Mr Khan.
He raged: “So what we should do is immediately get rid of the current useless Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, who’s doing nothing.”
At this, the entire room burst into ringing applause, forcing Mr Johnson to pause before adding: “He’s not a patch on the old guy.
“We should get rid of him – he’s completely invertebrate.”
The new mayor will take office in May this year.
