This article originally appeared on Shaun Bailey's website. Shaun is a London wide GLA Member and the 2021 Conservative Mayoral candidate.
Conservative mayoral hopeful Shaun Bailey has sided with Islington’s Labour council in its efforts to lease empty Roman Way flats off the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) – sort of.
In an interview with the Gazette, Mr Bailey also said he could put 1,800 extra police on the street without needing extra funding, protect “precious bus routes”, and work with Labour councils to find “more sites to house local people” in a mix of socially rented and market value properties.
He’s bidding to beat Sadiq Khan to become mayor of London at the May 2020 election – but first needs to win over voters in inner-city areas like Islington, where many balk at the thought of voting Tory.
“What you’re saying is fact,” he said.
“But for me, I’m the least slick, partisan of politicians you’ll meet.
“I’m not particularly slick in the sense I’m not sitting around here doing electoral calculus. [...]
“Because I’m not particularly partisan I’d be looking to support councils and social landlords to get things done – you don’t have to be a Tory to vote for me.”