Nigel Farage announces Luke Campbell as Reform Mayoral Candidate For Hull (Image: Getty)
Olympic boxing champion Luke Campbell is making the switch to politics and has sensationally been announced as the Reform UK candidate for the mayor of Hull and East Yorkshire.
The official Reform X page confirmed the news on Thursday night along with a highlight-reel of the boxing icon. “We are delighted to announce Olympic Gold Medalist and local hero Luke Campbell as our Hull and East Yorkshire Mayoral candidate. Hull & East Yorkshire needs Reform,” the caption read.
In the video, ‘Cool Hand’ said it had been an “honour” to represent his country, before saying: “One of the proudest moments in my life was coming home after the Olympics. Seeing all the people that turned out for me. It was the first time the country came together as one…I will fight for the people of this city.” Campbell was unveiled as Reform’s Mayoral candidate for Hull on Thursday night as he appeared alongisde Reform chief at an event in the city.
Campbell – who won gold for Team GB at London 2012 – turned professional a year later. With a professional record of 20-4, the Brit retired from the sport of boxing in 2021 following back-to-back defeats to Vasiliy Lomachenko and Ryan Garcia. Farage declared the ex-boxer was “knockout candidate” as the pair posed for photos ahead of his unveiling at the Connexin Live Arena in Hull.
The 37-year-old told the audience in attendance that he is “Hull lad born and bred” and wanted to “give back” to the city that gave him “grit” and “spirit.” He said: “I’m not going to stand on this stage and pretend I’m a politician, because I’m certainly not. The mayor role for me isn’t about playing politics. It’s about being a voice for Hull and East Yorkshire.”
He revealed he had to “think hard” about if he wanted to take on the election or not. “But the more I sat and thought about it, the more I got excited…I got excited about what I can do for my community. How can I put the people of Hull and East Yorkshire first?” He said. “We all have a choice, we can stand up for our families, we can stand up for our communities and we can stand up for our future. I want to give the people of Hull and East Yorkshire a fighting chance, I want to be accountable for real change.”
The Brit is set to go up against Conservative Anne Handley, Kerry Harrison for the Greens, Labour’s Margaret Pinder, Mike Ross for the Lib Dems and Yorkshire Party’s Rowan Halstead. Campbell will be the first-ever election for a metro mayor in the Hull and East Riding region on May 1.