Siobhan Benita quits London Mayoral race for financial reasons after election delayed by a year

Lib Dem mayoral candidate Siobhan Benita today pulled out of the race to succeed Sadiq Khan after the pandemic delayed the election by a year.

The former civil servant said the demands on a candidate were “significant” and she was unable to commit to another 12 months of campaigning.

She becomes the second candidate to leave the contest after independent contender and former Conservative minister Rory Stewart dropped out in May, the month the election was to have been held, saying the coronavirus crisis made it impossible to campaign.

Ms Benita, 48, below, said it had been a “privilege” to campaign as the Lib Dem candidate for the past 18 months, but added: “The demands of being a candidate are significant, particularly for an election of this scale. The nature of the role, which is unpaid, makes it very difficult to combine with other work.

“Sadly, at this stage, I’m simply not able to commit to another full year of campaigning. I wish the very best of luck to my successor and look forward to supporting their campaign for a better London.”

Benita, a mother-of-two who held posts in the Cabinet Office and Department of Health during a career in the civil service, stood as an independent in the 2012 mayoral election, coming fifth behind the Lib Dem candidate, Brian Paddick.

She joined the party in 2016, shortly after the Brexit referendum, and was selected as its London mayoral candidate in 2018.

Her manifesto included using money from unused Oyster cards to help fight homelessness, legalising cannabis in a effort to tackle rising levels of knife crime, and reopening closed police stations. The Lib Dems are now choosing a new candidate.

The announcement will be good news for Mr Khan, who has been targeting Lib-Dem voters and has been keen to emphasise the “two-horse race” between him and the Conservative candidate Shaun Bailey.

Labour MP Rupa Huq tweeted: “Was rumoured that the Tories were trying to ditch their man who [was] languishing behind in polls but they’ve been beaten to it. All points to a second term win for Sadiq Khan.”

Acting Lib Dem leader Ed Davey described Ms Benita as an “incredibly inspiring woman” and added: “Her campaign for a greener, fairer London helped us double our vote in London in the last election. I’m very sorry to see Siobhan stand down at this time, but she will continue to be a huge asset to our party.”

Lib Dem London Assembly member Caroline Pidgeon added: “A huge thank-you Siobhan Benita for your energetic and tireless campaigning over the last two years. We all understand your reasons for stepping back at this time.”

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