# Brexit battle looms in London mayoral race

> James Cleverly and Sadiq Khan are set to clash over EU rejoin in May 2028 election, with the Tory candidate warning it would damage London's tech sector.
- Title: Brexit battle looms in London mayoral race · The Independent
- Summary: James Cleverly and Sadiq Khan are set to clash over EU rejoin in May 2028 election, with the Tory candidate warning it would damage London's tech sector…
- Keywords: james cleverly, sadiq khan, andy burnham, london mayoral election, brexit, eu rejoin, labour party, conservative party, politics, news, battle, looms
- Source: The Independent — https://independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-james-cleverly-london-mayor-sadiq-khan-b3060323.html
- Published: 2026-10-03T13:47:12+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: james cleverly, sadiq khan, andy burnham, london mayoral election, brexit, eu rejoin, labour party, conservative party, politics, news
## London becomes Brexit battleground
London's mayoral election in May 2028 will be the first major test of Labour's push to undo Brexit damage, with Tory candidate James Cleverly ready to defend the status quo.
## Khan and Burnham signal rejoin push
Prime Minister Andy Burnham and London Mayor Sadiq Khan have signalled that rejoin could feature in Labour's next general election manifesto, with Burnham warning Brexit created more harm than good.
## Cleverly's Brexit credentials
James Cleverly was a Brexiteer in the 2016 referendum but supported Theresa May's attempts to compromise with the European Union. Seven of the ten areas with the highest Remain vote share were in London.
## Tech sector would suffer, Cleverly warns
The former foreign secretary claims EU regulation on artificial intelligence would damage London's interests. The UK is the world's third largest hub for AI development because of its different regulatory regime.

> The UK is the world's third largest hub for AI development because we have a different regulatory regime to the EU. So, if you're happy to basically kill off London's tech sector...
## Cleverly attacks Labour's contradictions
Cleverly argues Labour is contradicting itself by praising the CPTPP trade deal while flirting with rejoin, which would require tearing up that agreement and accepting EU artificial intelligence rules.
## Rejoin supporters cite economic losses
Supporters of rejoin point to billions in lost exports. The Institute for Public Policy for the Regions reported the UK is losing six point five billion pounds in exports to the EU due to lack of mutual recognition on product testing.
## Khan cites London's economic damage
Research commissioned by City Hall in 2024 showed London's economy was thirty billion pounds smaller than it would have been without Brexit, with nearly two million fewer jobs overall in the UK.
## Cleverly questions Labour's negotiating ability
Cleverly claims Labour has shown an inability to negotiate good deals, citing the renegotiated Erasmus student travel arrangement as more expensive for fewer students, with most benefit going to EU students.
## Cleverly dismisses Khan's focus on Brexit
Cleverly accuses Khan of using Brexit to distract from his own shortcomings, saying the mayor wants to keep arguing about an event from ten years ago rather than address his record in office.

> Sadiq Khan wants to keep rowing about an event from 10 years ago, because in the intervening 10 years, he's got nothing to be proud of.
## Key takeaway

London's mayoral election in May 2028 will become the first major battleground over Labour's push to rejoin the EU, with Tory candidate James Cleverly opposing the move.