• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

MayorWatch

London News and Comment

  • NEWS

Boris’s deputy heading to Commons after selection as Kensington candidate

March 14, 2015 by Martin Hoscik

Victoria Borwick has been selected as the candidate for Kensington.
Victoria Borwick has been selected as the candidate for Kensington.
Deputy Mayor of London Victoria Borwick has been selected as the Conservative candidate for the Kensington constituency at this year’s General Election.

Speaking after the result of the ballot of local party members was announced, she said her selection was a “great honour”.

The seat is being vacated by Sir Malcolm Rifkind who is stepping down following allegations that he offered to lobby for a fictitious company in return for cash.

At the 2010 election Sir Malcolm had an 8,616 majority over his nearest rival meaning Borwick’s entry into the Commons is all but guaranteed.

Borwick is the third member of Boris Johnson’s administration to be selected for a safe seat.

Former fire authority chair James Cleverly is to stand in the Braintree constituency where the Tories have a 16,000 majority while Johnson’s former business deputy Kit Malthouse is standing in the ultra-safe seat of North West Hampshire.

Johnson is also heading back to the Commons after being selected to contest the Uxbridge and South Ruislip seat.

Labour Assembly Member Andrew Dismore is also standing at the General Election when he’ll seek to win back the Hendon constituency he lost at the 2010 election by just 106 votes.

On election to the Commons all five would see their City Hall salary slashed by two-thirds.

Borwick says she’ll see out her current term on the London Assembly but will not stand for re-election at next year’s Assembly and Mayoral elections.

She’s due to discuss her future as deputy mayor with Johnson next week but it’s generally thought that she’ll stand down to focus on her campaign.

Borwick twice stood to become her party’s Mayoral candidate, coming second behind Boris Johnson in 2008.

The Deputy Mayor of London is a significant role as the post-holder, who must be a London Assembly member, would take over if Johnson quit City Hall later this year following his ascension to the Tory leadership.

The most likeliest candidates to replace Borwick are thought to be outgoing London Assembly chair Roger Evans or fellow Tory AMs Gareth Bacon and Steve O’Connell.

If Johnson stood down after November 5th whoever was Deputy Mayor would govern the city until next year’s City Hall election but if he went sooner they would remain mayor for just 35 days until a by-election was held.

  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email

Filed Under: News

RECENT UPDATES

Tube and rail users to benefit from Oyster weekly fares cap

Mayor and TfL call on ministers to help plug funding gap

Tube to get full mobile phone coverage from 2024

TfL says Direct Vision Standard is already making HGVs safer for London road users




POPULAR

City Hall to move to Docklands as Mayor seeks to raise £55m for frontline services

‘Concern’ over TfL’s ability to deliver major projects in wake of Crossrail cost overruns

City Hall halts London Overground ticket office closures but many will still see opening hours reduced

Transport for London confirms bus cuts will go ahead despite passenger opposition

Copyright © 2025 · Terms of Use · Privacy Policy