Zac Goldsmith is MP for Richmond Park and is campaigning to be the Conservative candidate for Mayor of London

In just a few days, the Conservative Party will choose who will be its candidate to succeed Boris Johnson as Mayor of London. Anyone in London can vote in that selection provided they have registered first here. It is critical you do. 

Under Boris, London has become the world’s best city to work in, invest in and do business. He has brought millions of pounds in investment, making our daily commutes safer, faster and more reliable, and our communities and neighbourhoods safer.

He has unashamedly banged the drum for London on a national and global scale, bringing in further investment that has created local jobs for Londoners. Under his Mayoralty, London has come out of recession. He has brought optimism, replacing divisive leadership with unity. 

But the maths is stark. With London’s population growing at such a rate we will need to continue this level of investment just to stand still. The next Mayor will need to match Boris’ ability to secure the right deals for Londoners so that we can build on his progress. 

On housing that means working with communities, not against them, so that we can deliver the sheer quantity of the homes we desperately need without exhausting Londoners’ appetite for development. We need to release publicly-owned brownfield land for development to tackle the housing shortage, and create a London-first bias for new developments.

We also need to crack down on high rents so Londoners are not denied the chance to own their own property because they cannot save for a deposit.

Continuing to invest in transport infrastructure is just as vital. For the vast majority of Londoners, our public transport system is a means to getting to work or getting home after a long day. We must continue to secure the resources we need to expand the network, while bearing down on the cost of travel so it delivers value for money for travellers. 

London needs to not only be the best city in the world to work in but the best city to live and raise a family in.

Crime has fallen in London over the last eight years and our neighbourhoods are now safer because of it.  But there is much more to be done. Still today far too many young people are drawn towards gangs, and the fact that three quarters of adult criminals are re-offenders tells us we need urgent reforms.

Finally, we need to improve our local environment, protecting green spaces, cutting down the waste we generate, tackling air pollution, and fighting nuisance crime like graffiti and littering.

For five years I have campaigned hard on the issues that matter to my constituents. And whether it was pressing for free parking to help small shops, securing hundreds of much-needed new school places, or preventing plans to charge families for enjoying Richmond Park, I have delivered.

I have worked closely with central government, but I have also been willing to stand up to it when it gets things wrong. I have always put my constituents first, and I believe that is why I secured one of the biggest increases in majority of almost any MP at the general election. 

I have campaigned on environmental issues for many years, previously editing The Ecologist and arguing in my book, ‘The Constant Economy’, how we can combine the power of markets with the will of people to build a more sustainable society. 

I want to apply that same campaign ethic to City Hall and build on Boris’ successes, so Londoners continue to get the best deal from Government.

Labour is mustering its forces to take back the capital and threatening to undo the progress we have made. The only way to ensure City Hall continues to work for Londoners is with a concerted campaign behind a strong and credible candidate.

So if you think I should be that candidate, please do register to vote here to help me secure my party’s nomination.