Idris Elba might be known for his versatility in the movie industry, but he could soon be moving into politics as he has emerged as a front-runner to become Labour’s next candidate for Mayor of London.
The Labour Party’s sudden interest is a result of his high-profile knife crime documentary, according to reports
The actor who recently presented Our Knife Crime Crisis on BBC One is said to be a possible contender to replace the current Mayor, Sir Sadiq Khan.
According to The Sun, a Labour insider told the outlet that the 52-year-old who is known for playing TV detective Luther and for his portrayal of Nelson Mandela in a 2016 film is “top of the list.”
The source is said to have told the paper that:
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“Idris has star appeal, but he is also a thoughtful political campaigner. Labour (has) a choice about who we choose to run in London. We can pick a Labour insider and try to make them famous, or we can pick someone famous aligned with Labour. Idris would be at the absolute top of our wish list”.
The documentary’s theme, dubbed Idris Elba: A Year Of Knife Crime, emphasises and portrays his activism and his clear message to young people that gangs “are not big and scary.”
Elba made the documentary Our Knife Crime Crisis, which aired in February, and has been vocal on ways to combat the problem.
Mayor Sir Sadiq, the current Mayor of London who was recently knighted, is the Labour candidate who was elected to the position in 2016 and is widely expected to step down at the next election.
He is the longest-serving Mayor of London since the creation of the position in 2000, surpassing the tenures of previous mayors Ken Livingstone and Boris Johnson.
Idris Elba was born in Hackney and currently lives in East London. He is best known for television shows The Wire, Luther, and the US version of The Office; as well as movies like Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, Hobbs & Shaw, and the Thor films.
