Sadiq Khan’s record as London Mayor has been marked by rising knife crime across the capital and a very public spat with President Donald Trump. But, Shaun Bailey, who will be competing against Mr Khan in next year’s mayoral election, told Express.co.uk that he felt Mr Khan’s greatest failure had been an all-encompassing lack of leadership. He said: “Crime has demonstrated that he’s shown no kind of leadership in London at all. And we really need that leadership right now.

“And he’s spent all of his time blaming other people which lets us know that situation won’t change.

“The risk now is that we continue in this direction under Sadiq.

“That’s the big failing: the poor direction he’s led London in and the real lack of delivery.”

Mr Bailey continued his scathing attack, insisting the Labour mayor had “broken” almost every promise he made in his manifesto.

He added: “I think there are a lot of problems that London has faced that Sadiq has to answer for. He’s campaigned the whole time and delivered very little.

“People in London, whether Remain or Leave, young or old, black or white – what they’re after is solutions to housing, crime, transport. And he hasn’t delivered on any of those things.

“He’s broken nearly every one of the promises he made while chasing election.”

Mr Bailey took particular offence at Mr Khan’s mishandling of the capital’s knife crime epidemic.

Last year, 135 people were killed in the capital in the bloodiest year in almost a decade, and Mr Bailey told Express.co.uk nothing would change as long as Mr Khan absolved himself of responsibility.

Mr Bailey said: “It has certainly been a long time coming. We’ve had a lot of ivory tower politicians saying the right things but not really providing people with hope.

“I think it’s that lack of hope, that lack of economic development in the poorest parts of London, who are the people that are separated from the success that is London.

“Ministers have cut £1billion from the police budget, reducing police officers to below 30,000 for the first time since 2003.”

“So you have that sort of agitation there and, of course, you have a mayor whose emboldened criminals by saying it’s going to take 10 years to solve – by saying he’s done his bit.

“In my opinion, as a leader, you’ve never done your bit. Even if crime is low you still make sure you push to keep it that way.

“The combination of not taking responsibility, not backing the police and not telling criminals that you want to put them under pressure…”

Mr Khan has defended his record and blamed Government cuts for the rise in crime in London.

A spokesman said: “Knife and violent crime is slowing in the capital, but Sadiq is absolutely clear that it remains unacceptably high – across the country – as a direct consequence of the crippling cuts the Government has made to the police and preventative services since 2010.”

As President Donald Trump arrived in the UK on Monday, Mr Khan faced even more criticism over his leadership.

Before landing, Mr Trump tweeted on Monday morning: “Sadiq Khan, who by all accounts has done a terrible job as Mayor of London, has been foolishly ‘nasty’ to the visiting President of the United States, by far the most important ally of the United Kingdom. He is a stone-cold loser who should focus on crime in London, not me.

“Kahn reminds me very much of our very dumb and incompetent Mayor of NYC, de Blasio, who has also done a terrible job – only half his height. In any event, I look forward to being a great friend to the United Kingdom, and am looking very much forward to my visit. Landing now.”

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