Boost for London Mayor hopeful Moz as half of voters turn on Sadiq

Boost for Conservative Mayor of London hopeful Moz Hossain as half of the capital voters turn fire on Sadiq

• London Mayor hopeful Mozammel Hossain was backed in a poll to fight crime 
• More than a third of Londoners opted for a criminal barrister to combat crime  

Tory London Mayor hopeful Mozammel ‘Moz’ Hossain was given a boost last night after a poll backed a lawyer like him to fight crime in the capital.

Asked which profession was best-placed to combat crime, more than a third – 36 per cent – of Londoners opted for a criminal barrister and King’s Counsel – Mr Hossain’s job. 

The figure fell to 17 per cent for a London Assembly member and business owner like Susan Hall, Mr Hossain’s competitor to be chosen as Tory Mayoral candidate. A mere seven per cent plumped for a former government adviser and tech entrepreneur like former Tory candidate Daniel Korski, who withdrew from the race last week after being accused of groping a female TV producer, which he denies.

Crime was named as one of the top three issues affecting Londoners in the Savanta poll, beaten only by the cost of living and affordability of housing.

In an interview with The Mail on Sunday last month, Mr Hossain revealed that he did not own a pair of shoes until he was 16.

The potential candidate, who has been dubbed ‘mystery Moz’ because of his sudden arrival, grew up in a family of ten in Bangladesh before moving to Britain at 21 to study law

The potential candidate, who has been dubbed ‘mystery Moz’ because of his sudden arrival, grew up in a family of ten in Bangladesh before moving to Britain at 21 to study law.

He is now the first Bangladesh-born criminal barrister to become a Queen’s or King’s Counsel.

He is a bus driver’s son like Labour’s Sadiq Khan, who will fight to win a third term in the mayoral election on May 2, 2024. He will face either Mr Hossain or Ms Hall as Conservative candidate, with the winner being announced on Wednesday, July 19. Mr Hossain’s main pledge is to make London’s streets safer.

He said: ‘One area where Sadiq Khan has failed indisputably is crime.I have been a criminal barrister for 21 years.

‘There is not an aspect of the criminal justice system I don’t have the most intimate and expert knowledge of. That’s where I’ll tackle him.’

He also pledges an institutional overhaul of the scandal-hit Metropolitan Police, by setting up an independent anti-corruption body.

Labour’s Sadiq Khan (pictured) will fight to win a third term in the mayoral election on May 2, 2024

The Savanta poll of 1,003 adults, which took place between June 20 and 28, also showed that nearly half of Londoners are unhappy with Mr Khan’s performance as Mayor, suggesting he could be beatable.

Despite Labour being ahead in the polls, 45 per cent of residents say they are dissatisfied with his time in the role, while 27 per cent are satisfied.

Some 43 per cent think Mr Khan has made London worse since 2016, compared with 28 per cent who say he has made the capital better.

This follows Mr Khan expanding the Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) to the whole city in an attempt to create cleaner air. Drivers in the outer suburbs will have to pay a £12.50 daily levy or a £180 fine after August 29 if their vehicles pollute too much.

The survey also found that 69 per cent of Londoners rank the cost of living as the top challenge facing the city. This was followed by affordability of housing (44 per cent) and crime and policing (37 per cent).

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