No minister for London during Paul Scully Tory mayoral candidate bid - what does it mean for the capital?

London will be without its own dedicated minister while Paul Scully remains in the race to become the Conservative mayoral candidate, the government has confirmed.

Sutton and Cheam MP Mr Scully, upon putting his name into the hat to potentially take on Sadiq Khan at next year’s election, announced he would be recusing himself from his position as minister for London while he seeks the nomination.

With the deadline for new applications having passed, the party will now whittle the potential candidates down to two or three, with the winner to be named on July 19.

When asked whether a replacement will step into Mr Scully’s place while the race is ongoing, a Number 10 spokesperson said the government “wouldn’t jump ahead of the nomination procedure”.

The minister for London, a role Mr Scully has held since 2020, is involved in policy relating to the capital, such as providing members of parliament with updates on the Greater London Authority (GLA).

The position was abolished under David Cameron in 2010, before being reinstated by Theresa May in 2016, with Gavin Barwell.

The government’s spokesperson told LondonWorld that, as ministers across all departments are involved with engagement in London, they will continue to work with stakeholders in the capital while Mr Scully is recused.

They said: “In light of his intention to stand as a candidate for mayor of London, Paul Scully has recused himself from his responsibilities as minister for London while seeking the nomination to avoid any conflicts of interest.”

Other Tory hopefuls who have put their names forward to challenge Mr Khan at next year’s election include London Assembly chair Andrew Boff, former Conservative City Hall leader Susan Hall, and Samuel Kasumu, who was previously an adviser to Boris Johnson.