By Biozy Editorial Team
Introduction
Anyone searching “Laila Cunningham Wikipedia” is usually after the basic facts: who she is, how old she is, where she comes from and how she became Reform UK’s choice for Mayor of London. This profile gathers those details in one place, based on her English Wikipedia entry and reporting from established UK outlets.
Laila Cunningham is a British politician and former Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) lawyer. She was elected as a Conservative councillor on Westminster City Council in 2022, defected to Reform UK in June 2025, and in January 2026 was announced as Reform UK’s candidate for the 2028 London mayoral election.
Below you will find a quick bio table, her early life and education, a timeline of her legal and political career, the public record on her family, and answers to the questions people most often search for.
Contents
Laila Cunningham Quick Bio
| CATEGORY | DETAILS |
|---|---|
| Full name | Laila Cunningham (born El-Meleigy; previously known as Laila Dupuy) |
| Known as | Laila Cunningham |
| Date of birth | August 1977 (exact day not publicly confirmed) |
| Age | 49 (as of October 2026) |
| Birthplace | Paddington, London, England |
| Where she grew up | Kilburn, north-west London |
| Nationality | British |
| Heritage | Egyptian (parents emigrated to the UK in the 1960s) |
| Religion | Identifies as Muslim (as reported by Politics UK) |
| Education | Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle, London; California State University, Long Beach |
| Profession | Politician; former CPS lawyer; entrepreneur |
| Political party | Reform UK (since June 2025); previously Conservative |
| Council role | Westminster City Councillor, Lancaster Gate ward (2022–2026) |
| Current role | Reform UK candidate for the 2028 London mayoral election |
| Husband | Michael Cunningham, American tech investor (married 2018) |
| Children | Describes herself as a mother of seven (biological children and stepchildren) |
| Siblings | One of five children |
| Social media | Active in public campaigning; specific verified handles not listed here |
| Net worth | Not publicly confirmed |
Where Is Laila Cunningham From?
Laila Cunningham is from London. According to her Wikipedia entry, she was born in Paddington in August 1977 and grew up in Kilburn, in north-west London, as one of five children.
Her parents were Egyptian and moved to the UK in the 1960s. She has said in interviews that Egypt under Gamal Abdel Nasser was close to being “communist”, which she has given as context for her family’s move. Her birth surname was El-Meleigy.
She has kept strong ties to west London throughout her adult life, representing the Lancaster Gate ward in the City of Westminster for four years.
Laila Cunningham Age
Laila Cunningham was born in August 1977, which makes her 49 years old as of October 2026. Her exact birthday has not been publicly confirmed in reliable sources, so only the month and year are given here.
Early Life and Education
Cunningham attended the Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle in South Kensington, a private school that follows the French national curriculum. Sport was a major part of her teenage years. She played basketball at secondary school, represented the South East England team and took part in the London Youth Games.
She also trained at the Centre of Excellence for Basketball in Europe. Basketball then took her to the United States, where she studied at California State University, Long Beach, and continued to play for the university.
Career
Legal Career at the Crown Prosecution Service
Before entering politics, Cunningham worked as a lawyer for the Crown Prosecution Service, the body that prosecutes criminal cases in England and Wales. Her years as a prosecutor are a central part of her public profile and are often referenced in coverage of her campaigns.
Freelance Law and the Kitchin Table App
After her first marriage ended, she took on freelance legal work. She then founded Kitchin Table, an app designed to help self-employed women form home-based working groups. The Guardian reported on the idea in April 2018, and she moved to Los Angeles that year to launch the business.
Early Political Campaigns
Cunningham first stood for election in 2018, as a Conservative candidate in the Queen’s Park ward of Westminster City Council. Labour won all three seats in that ward.
In May 2022 she was elected as a Conservative councillor for the Lancaster Gate ward. Her term ran from 5 May 2022 until 7 May 2026.
2024 Elections and Rotherham
In 2024 she was placed on the Conservative London-wide list for the London Assembly election but was not elected.
She was also due to be the Conservative candidate for Rotherham at the July 2024 general election. BBC News and The Telegraph reported in June 2024 that she withdrew “due to a change in circumstances”. The Conservatives did not field a replacement, and apart from the Speaker’s seat, Rotherham was the only constituency in Great Britain without a Conservative candidate.
Defection to Reform UK
In June 2025 Cunningham left the Conservatives and joined Reform UK, as reported by MyLondon. She said the Conservatives had “let the country down” on taxation and immigration.
The Conservative group leader on Westminster City Council, Paul Swaddle, said she had often been late or absent and had lost the group’s trust after the Rotherham decision. Cunningham denied those claims.
Around the same time, The Standard reported that she resigned from the CPS after making political comments to the newspaper while still employed as a prosecutor. CPS lawyers are expected to avoid political activity that could affect their impartiality. Her resignation was accepted with immediate effect.
Women for Reform
In August 2025 she co-launched Women for Reform alongside Andrea Jenkyns, Sarah Pochin and Linden Kemkaran. The Times and PoliticsHome both covered the launch.
Laila Cunningham, Reform UK and the London Mayoral Race
On 7 January 2026, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage announced Cunningham as the party’s candidate for the 2028 London mayoral election. The Evening Standard, ITV News and AFP all reported the announcement.
Policies she set out in early coverage included giving priority to British citizens for social housing, reported by the Newham Citizen, and scrapping the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), reported by ITV News.
In a January 2026 interview with The Telegraph, she said she would want the burka banned if elected mayor. She also told The Standard that, in her view, London is not a Muslim city.
Notable Public Moments
Several moments in Cunningham’s political career have drawn coverage from national outlets. They are summarised here as reported:
- Rotherham withdrawal (2024): Her withdrawal left the Conservatives without a candidate in the seat, reported by BBC News and The Telegraph.
- CPS resignation (2025): Reported by The Standard after she made political remarks while still a prosecutor.
- Pride parade: Wikipedia records that some on the right criticised her for attending a Pride march. She responded that she has always been “very pro gay rights”.
- Restore Britain remarks (February 2026): After Rupert Lowe founded Restore Britain, she described the party as “neo-Nazi”, according to the Express. Lowe said he had consulted lawyers and asked for an apology and retraction. Elon Musk, who had backed Restore Britain, criticised Reform UK in a post on X.
Is There a Laila Cunningham Wikipedia Page?
Yes. There is an English Wikipedia page for Laila Cunningham. It covers her birth in Paddington in August 1977, her Egyptian family background, her schooling and basketball career, her work at the CPS, the Kitchin Table app, her elections in Westminster, the Rotherham withdrawal, her move to Reform UK and her selection as the party’s London mayoral candidate.
The page also has sections on her personal life and on the controversies listed above, with references to outlets including BBC News, The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Times, The Independent and The Standard. As with any Wikipedia article about a living politician, the content may change as new events are reported.
Laila Cunningham Husband
Laila Cunningham’s husband, and current partner, is Michael Cunningham, an American tech investor. The couple married in 2018, the same year she moved to Los Angeles to launch her Kitchin Table app, and they have a son together. She took the surname Cunningham from this marriage.
Her first marriage, to a French national, began in 2004 and ended in divorce in 2014. During that marriage she was known as Laila Dupuy. Beyond what has appeared in her interviews and her Wikipedia entry, she has kept details of her marriages largely private.
Laila Cunningham Children: Is She a Mother of 7?
Yes. Searches for “Laila Cunningham 7 children” come from the way she describes herself: as a mother of seven. That figure includes:
- Four children from her first marriage
- One son with her husband, Michael Cunningham
- Two stepchildren from her husband’s previous relationship, whom she has helped raise
Her children are not public figures, and we have not named them here. The Guardian has also reported that her sister died of cancer around 2022.
Laila Cunningham Ethnicity, Religion and Family Background
Ethnicity
Laila Cunningham is British and of Egyptian heritage. She was born in London to Egyptian parents who emigrated to the UK in the 1960s. Her birth surname was El-Meleigy.
Laila Cunningham Father
Little has been published about her father individually. Reputable sources state only that both of her parents were Egyptian and moved to Britain in the 1960s, and that they raised five children in Kilburn. She has linked the move to conditions in Egypt under Gamal Abdel Nasser, which she has described as close to “communist”. Her father’s name and occupation have not been publicly confirmed.
Is Laila Cunningham Muslim?
She has publicly identified as Muslim. According to Politics UK, she has also said she does not pray or fast during Ramadan. Outlets including The New Arab and AFP noted her Muslim background when reporting on her selection as Reform UK’s mayoral candidate. Her comments on religion in London, including her remarks on the burka, are covered in the mayoral section above.
Social Media
As a mayoral candidate, Cunningham uses social media to promote her campaign and Reform UK policies. Readers looking for her official accounts should follow links from Reform UK’s official website or verified profiles, as copycat accounts are common for political figures. We have not listed specific handles here because they could not be independently verified for this profile.
Laila Cunningham Net Worth
Laila Cunningham’s net worth is not publicly confirmed. No reliable outlet has published a figure, and estimates on biography aggregator sites are not based on verifiable records.
Her known income sources over the years have included her salary as a CPS lawyer, freelance legal work, her business venture Kitchin Table and her councillor’s allowance in Westminster. None of these give a reliable basis for an overall estimate.
Conclusion
Laila Cunningham is a London-born politician of Egyptian heritage who moved from a career as a CPS prosecutor into local politics. After four years as a Conservative councillor in Westminster, she joined Reform UK in 2025 and became its candidate for Mayor of London in early 2026.
Key facts are well documented: she was born in August 1977, grew up in Kilburn, studied in London and California, and is married to American tech investor Michael Cunningham. Her exact date of birth and her net worth have not been publicly confirmed.
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FAQs
Who is Laila Cunningham?
Laila Cunningham is a British politician and former CPS lawyer. She was a Westminster City Councillor from 2022 to 2026 and is Reform UK’s candidate for the 2028 London mayoral election.
How old is Laila Cunningham?
She was born in August 1977, so she is 49 as of October 2026. Her exact birthday has not been publicly confirmed.
Who is Laila Cunningham’s husband?
Her husband is Michael Cunningham, an American tech investor. They married in 2018 and have a son together.
What is Laila Cunningham’s religion?
She has publicly identified as Muslim, though she has said she does not pray or fast during Ramadan.
What is Laila Cunningham’s net worth?
Her net worth is not publicly confirmed. No reliable outlet has published a figure.
Where is Laila Cunningham from?
She was born in Paddington, London, and grew up in Kilburn. Her parents were Egyptian and moved to the UK in the 1960s.
When did Laila Cunningham join Reform UK?
She joined Reform UK in June 2025 after leaving the Conservative Party, citing taxation and immigration.
Does Laila Cunningham have 7 children?
She describes herself as a mother of seven: four children from her first marriage, a son with her husband and two stepchildren she has helped raise.