Luke Campbell has been announced as the Reform UK candidate for the mayor of Hull and East Yorkshire (Image: Image Copyright P96)
Reform’s newest candidate Luke Campbell is aiming for a knockout victory in Hull’s upcoming mayoral elections. In his first interview since being announced by , the former boxer spoke of how this is not just “another job”, and how he’s striving to save his city from government “lies”. Thursday evening marked the start of Mr Campbell’s career change into politics when Reform’s leader welcomed him to the stage.
“I was nervous,” he admitted. “I’m entering something I’ve never done before. Going out on stage and telling the audience why I was there was scarier than going in the ring and actually fighting someone.” Standing before 2,000 supporters in his hometown, the mayoral candidate discussed Hull’s struggles, blaming the Labour party for “failing Hull for decades”, and expressing a desire to rebuild the city.
Luke announced his candidacy during the Reform Hull rally on Thursday (Image: Image Copyright P96)
“With the parties we’ve had, they’ve failed the country – they’ve lied. I’ve always been a Labour man – my dad was a miner, my mum worked in a factory, it’s always been Labour,” he said. But at 37, Luke now feels that “everyone, including myself, believes the country is going down” due to “lies.”
He said the reason for the city’s decline is tied to years of mismanagement by both Labour and the Lib Dems. “They have failed Hull for decades,” he said.
At the conference, Mr Farage praised the former boxer’s decision to join Reform, highlighting the party’s focus on “doing things differently”. “We’re not career politicians, we’re people prepared to stand up with grit and determination,” the Clacton MP stated.
For Luke, joining Reform is the key to transformation in Hull and the rest of the UK. “Reform will be the change and they’re the only party out there that will actually help the country,” he said.
“I’m not doing this for another job, I don’t even know what the salary is. I’m not just your average politician.”
The former boxer’s political aspirations began as casual discussions with friends over brunch, but soon became serious. “The next day, I got a call asking if I’d like to meet Nigel and the team,” he said. “That was it. I started getting excited about inspiring the next generation and giving back as much as possible.”
Luke retired from boxing in 2021 after two decades in the ring (Image: Image Copyright P96)
He retired from boxing in 2021 after two decades in the ring, citing “certain politics in the world of boxing” and a desire to spend more time with his children. “This is the first thing that’s excited me since retiring,” he said, acknowledging that leaving the sport was difficult. “But I want to make Hull a better place.”
After winning a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics, Luke’s life changed dramatically. With a career record of 20 wins and four defeats, he became one of the most successful amateur boxers ever.
He explained: “I’ve always been a very shy guy… Now everyone knew who I was, where I was. I went back home and there were 20,000 people waiting for me.
“It’s one of my biggest inspirations for running for mayor as they were there for me.”
Having represented his country on a global stage, the athlete emphasised his next career move will be similar, but “more rewarding”.
Drawing on his experience in the boxing world, Luke plans to use his “great network of people” to help bring more investment into Hull.
Hull’s mayoral election will be on May 1 (Image: Image Copyright P96)
The mayoral election on May 1 will be Hull’s first with a directly-elected mayor. Last September, the Labour government approved a devolution deal for the area, outlining plans for a Combined Authority. Other candidates already announced include Rowan Halstead for the Yorkshire Party, Anne Handley for the , Kerry Harrison for the Greens, Margaret Pinder for Labour, and Mike Ross for the Liberal Democrats.
He criticised the current councillors, blaming them for the city’s ongoing decline. “They’ve been in charge for years now and where are we? Crime is up, jobs are down, and investment in the city centre is bad. Every other shop in the city centre is abandoned. Homelessness is worse than ever.”
His plan for Hull includes revitalising the city centre, creating more jobs, attracting investment, and holding the town council accountable for how taxpayer money is spent. “It’s about making sure they spend it right,” he said.