Mayoral candidate voices displeasure after local MPs throw support behind Josh Morgan

London mayoral candidate Khalil Ramal during a press conference on Sept. 27, 2022. (File)

With London, Ont.’s municipal election less than a month away things are heating up in the Forest City, and one mayoral candidate is voicing his displeasure after three local members of Parliament backed perceived frontrunner Josh Morgan.

Over the weekend, local members of Parliament Peter Fragiskatos from the Liberals, the NDP’s Lindsay Mathyssen and the Conservative’s Karen Vecchio threw their support behind mayoral candidate Josh Morgan.

But on Tuesday, mayoral candidate and former London-Fanshawe MPP Khalil Ramal held a news conference to voice his displeasure with the MPs backing of Morgan.

“When they see all the establishment and the power brokers have already decided who’s going to be the next mayor — according to them — and I’m here to tell you and tell the people of London only the people of London decide who’s going to be the future mayor,” he says.

The new high profile support for Morgan comes after endorsements from the London and Labour Council and from current Mayor of London Ed Holder.

“I was troubled that we now have party politicians willing to bring partisan politics into our municipal election,” says Ramal.

For Morgan however, the high profile support for London’s upcoming mayoral election is not surprising considering the existing relationship he has with the three MPs. 

“You know what I want to make sure that I’m representing everybody, and I’ve had great relationships with these individuals in the past, and actually all of them have endorsed me previously in the past for ward campaigns,” says Morgan.

Meanwhile, London mayoral candidate Sean O’Connell took to Twitter to criticize the endorsements, saying he will be filing a formal complains with the federal ethics commissioner against the three MPs. 

— With files from CTV News London's Carlyle Fiset