London mayor candidate Brian Rose is fined £200 for breaking lockdown rules

A Mayor of London candidate today accused Boris Johnson of ‘undermining democracy’ after he and his campaign team were fined for breaching Covid restrictions after taking to the capital’s streets with their battle bus.

Brian Rose said he and four members of his team were slapped with £200 penalty notices by City of London police who told them that ‘campaigning was not a necessary reason to be out of your homes’.

Rose, an American-born independent candidate and former Wall Street banker, is currently second favourite to win the Mayoral elections with bookmakers Paddy Power, behind current Labour mayor Sadiq Khan.

Brian Rose said he and four members of his team were slapped with £200 penalty notices by City of London police who told them that ‘campaigning was not a necessary reason to be out of your homes’

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Mr Rose had been recording a video with his team in Southwark when a police descended on him and his team outside their ‘digital battle bus’, which began a 15 day tour of London’s boroughs on Friday.

After being fined and told to go home, the 49-year-old said: ‘This wasn’t a couple of officers making a spur-of-the-moment call – we had been under surveillance and the officer in charge was quite clear that we were being arrested for campaigning.

‘I have no issue whatsoever with the arresting officers, who are in an impossible position. They are putting their lives on the line daily – indeed, only last week, a young Met officer lost his life to Covid.

‘Responsibility for ensuring that secure, safe and fair elections can take place in May rests with the Government. Boris Johnson’s rampant indecision has already damaged London’s economy and is in danger of derailing the May elections in yet more last-minute chaos.’

Mr Rose said he wants the elections to only use postal voting to keep the public safe.  

On his campaign website, the candidate has criticised the government for its ‘disproportionate’ response to the virus. 

There is growing confusion over what campaigning is allowed and what is not. Earlier on Sunday, Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said his party was acting within the law when pushing leaflets through letterboxes.

Mr Rose had been recording a video with his team in Southwark when a police descended on him and his team outside their ‘digital battle bus’

After being fined and told to go home, the 49-year-old said: ‘This wasn’t a couple of officers making a spur-of-the-moment call – we had been under surveillance and the officer in charge was quite clear that we were being arrested for campaignin’

Cabinet Office minister Chloe Smith said the Government would be issuing guidance in due course about ‘appropriate conduct’ in the run-up to the campaign. 

She also said the Government was very clear that face-to-face political activity at the moment was inconsistent with current regulations requiring people only to leave home where strictly necessary.

Mr Rose added: ‘If leafleting is safe, then my Covid-secure bus is safe. It may well be the safest bus in Britain, particularly when compared with the public transport which many key workers are forced to use.

‘The confusion and prevarication now festering around this issue is an affront to democracy.’

Paul Frost, Chief of Staff for the campaign, said: ‘We will be the challenging the penalties given to both Mr Rose and members of the Brian For Mayor team, based on the same guidance that other parties have been using to ensure that their campaigns can go ahead.’ 

City of London Police said: ‘Coronavirus restrictions have no exemption for canvassing. Anyone canvassing can expect the police to enforce the legislation, which could include issuing fines.’ 

Rose, an American-born independent candidate and former Wall Street banker, is currently second favourite to win the Mayoral elections with bookmakers Paddy Power, behind current Labour mayor Sadiq Khan on 1/12 (left). Tory candidate Shaun Bailey is in third on 18/1