Rory Stewart to stand as London Mayor allowing Sadiq Khan to win again

Failed Conservative leadership candidate Rory Stewart is quitting as an MP to run for London mayor as an independent candidate.

He will stand in next year’s election against current Labour mayor Sadiq Khan and Tory candidate Shaun Bailey which will most certainly lead to

Mr Stewart tweeted it had been a “great privilege” to serve Penrith and The Border for the last ten years.

He was expelled from the Tories in the Commons with 20 other Brexit rebels, but remained a member of the party.

Stewart announced his intention to stand for London mayor in a video on Twitter, saying: “I’m leaving that gothic shouting chamber of Westminster.

“I’m getting away from a politics which makes me sometimes feel as though Trump has never left London and I want to walk through every borough of this great city to get back to us on the ground.”

It comes after his announcement that he was stepping down as an MP and quitting the Conservative Party earlier.

Writing for his local newspaper, the Cumberland and Westmorland Herald, he said: “As you will be aware, I am no longer allowed to run as Conservative MP in Penrith and The Border.

“Because I have loved the constituency so much, I had considered standing as an Independent; but I have decided that I wouldn’t want to run against those Conservative members who have been such wonderful colleagues over the last 10 years.”

Social media was quick to react with both anger and glee. Anger from Tories who realise this will split the Tory vote and glee from supporters of Sadiq Khan for whom this now certainly means re-election.