The Lib Dem candidate for mayor of London has quit the race to for the post, following the decision to delay the election.
Due to the pandemic, it was announced in March that the vote, which was due to take place in May, would be postponed until next year.
Siobhan Benita, a former civil servant, said that the delay has meant she was “simply not able to commit to another full year of campaigning” due to “the nature” of the unpaid campaigning role.
The Liberal Democrats have announced that the search for a new candidate to replace Ms Benita has already began. The party said that “details on the selection of a new candidate will be announced in due course”.
Siobhan Benita had been due to run on a manifesto which included a pledge to legalise cannabis in a bid to reduce knife crime, which has been plaguing the city in recent years.
She wrote in a Tweet: “It is with great sadness that I am announcing I will not be running in the election next year.[1]”
In a statement following the announcement, she said that she was “immensely grateful” to those who had supported her campaign, but that “the demands of being a candidate are significant, particularly for an election of this scale”.
She added: “I wish the very best of luck to my successor and look forward to supporting their campaign for a better London.”
Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said he was “very sorry to see Siobhan stand down at this time, but she will continue to be a huge asset to our party”.
[1] https://twitter.com/SiobhanBenita/status/1287629562453594117
