Some politicians claim to be connected to the general public. Some claim to appreciate their feelings. Some claim to be different from their colleagues. And then, there is Rory Stewart.
London Mayoral election candidate and former Conservative leadership candidate Rory Stewart has launched a campaign whereby he is asking Londoners to invite him into their homes. Launching #ComeKipWithMe, Mr Stewart tweeted;
“Today I’m launching #ComeKipWithMe – asking Londoners to invite me into their homes and show me the city through their eyes. I want to know your concerns and your ideas. And I promise to bring a sleeping bag and a box of chocolates!”
In a video accompanying the tweet, Mr Stewart acknowledged ‘it’s a weird request’ but said that walking through every borough was the only way Mayors could get to know their cities.
The launch has sparked a mixed reaction on Twitter, with some social media users asking ‘is everything ok at home’ and another asking if he will babysit their toddler.
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Labour MP for Brent Central, Dawn Butler described the campaign as ‘patronising’ in a tweet;
‘I’m finding this a little bit patronising. You can’t just dip your toe into London life. You have to live it! and care about it. This seems like some kind of university project/experiment.’
Rory Stewart is one of the candidates running in the 2020 London Mayoral Election and is running as an Independent candidate. Mr Stewart is up against other candidates including current Mayor Sadiq Khan, Shaun Bailey, Siobhan Benita and Siân Berry.
Would you invite Rory Stewart or another politician into your home? Tweet us your thoughts @speakerpolitics
Photo Credit: Foreign and Commonwealth Office [CC BY 2.0]
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