Cunningham has had multiple businesses struck off for failing to comply with companies law
Reform UK’s candidate for London Mayor, Laila Cunningham, has had several businesses struck off due to failing to file legally required documents.
Cunningham was unveiled as Reform’s candidate for the 2028 London Mayor election last week.
She vowed to take on Sir Sadiq Khan, promising an “all out war” on crime in the capital.
However, as The Times reported, it has now emerged that the Westminster councillor is linked to three companies that have broken companies law and been struck off by Companies House.
One company, Kitchin Table Limited, which operated an app that organised women’s co-working sessions in their homes, was dissolved in August 2024 after a notice for compulsory strike-off action was issued in June that year.
Cunningham jointly owned Kitchin Table with her husband Michael Cunningham.
Another of the Reform mayoral candidate’s companies, MGIC Ltd, which sold magnesium and menthol products for sore joints and muscles, was struck off in August 2023.
A separate marketing and PR company of which Cunningham was the director was dissolved via compulsory strike-off in March 2017.
Speaking to Times Radio on Friday, Cunningham insisted that she “didn’t break companies’ law” and that “there was never any wrongdoing” after she failed to file company accounts.
Under UK law, failing to file company accounts is a criminal offence, although prosecutions are rare and companies are more commonly struck off the register instead.
Cunningham said on Times Radio: “So I didn’t break companies’ law. Like many companies, and I don’t really like the insinuation that it was a crime in any way.”
She added: “I tried out different business ideas. Some became inactive. And that happens to thousands. They were all dormant, by the way. Every year. There was never any wrongdoing. No one was defrauded. And I passed all the CPS vetting right after that.”
When asked whether failing to file company accounts is a breach of the law, she said: “Companies House routinely strikes off inactive or non-filing companies. It’s a paperwork sanction. The system is designed to clear dead companies out of the register. That’s hundreds of thousands of UK companies that are struck off every year. Overwhelmingly, because they’re dormant and admin has lapsed.”
Cunningham added: “It’s not wrongdoing. It’s just a way to get rid of dead companies. Lots of people do it.
“And you know what? We should reward that because I was taking risk. All my money went into that. Sadly, it didn’t work out because of Covid. And that’s what happened.”
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
Left Foot Forward doesn't have the backing of big business or billionaires. We rely on the kind and generous support of ordinary people like you.
You can support hard-hitting journalism that holds the right to account, provides a forum for debate among progressives, and covers the stories the rest of the media ignore. Donate today.