The Labour party are reportedly chasing Idris Elba to replace Sadiq Khan as Mayor of London.
The Hollywood star, 52, is best known for playing dogged detective Luther in the hit BBC crime drama, and as hotheaded hedgehog Knuckles in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise.
However, it’s his work away from the screen which is said to have caught the government’s eye.
Last year, Idris joined forces with Prime Minister Keir Starmer to tackle the issue of knife crime in the UK.
Officially called The Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime, the taskforce aims to commission research into what drives knife crime in the country, specifically where it concerns young people.
Following his work on the project, the actor is said to be top of Labour’s wish list to replace Sadiq Khan as mayor.
Speaking to The Sun, a senior Labour source said: ‘Idris has star appeal — but he is also a thoughtful political campaigner.
‘Labour have 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.’
With the next London Mayoral elections set to take place in 2028, Khan is expected to stand down at the end of this, his third term as Mayor.
However, others have described Idris’s appointment as unlikely, saying: ‘Idris is a long shot — but some in the party have talked about him.’
Last year, the Suicide Squad star launched a campaign which called for the immediate banning of machetes and so-called ‘zombie knives.’
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Unveiling the Don’t Stop The Future campaign, Idris oversaw as clothes and shoes were laid out on the grass in front of Westminster, each representing a victim of knife crime.
To raise awareness he also released the rap song Knives Down. The video for this depicted Idris in The House of Commons, reprimanding a Rishi Sunak-lookalike as he and rapper DK Maz demanded solutions to the problem.
This followed the tragic murder of 15-year-old Elianne Andam, who was stabbed in the neck while on her way to school in September 2023.
The teenager responsible, 18-year-old Hassan Sentamu, was sentenced to a minimum of 23 years in prison for the crime.
In a post to Instagram at the time, Idris wrote: ‘Sending my condolences to the family of Elianne Andam at this very sad time.
‘It is a shame that out country still mourns the deaths of children at the hands of knives.
‘We NEED to enforce tougher deterrents and punishments to carrying these weapons.’
The star has previously spoken out in support of those affected by knife crime, addressing his own upbringing in Hackney, East London.
In an impassioned 2019 video, he spoke of the violence he witnessed in his own community, explaining: ‘Knife crime is not new. I grew up in the ’80s and there was knife crime back then, between blacks and whites, and now it’s definitely between young black men in small, tiny communities, and it’s affecting everyone. We all look stupid.
‘If you’ve got a knife, or you know someone that’s got a knife, tell them to stab themselves right now, trust me. Because you’re just going to stab your future if you go and stab someone else.’
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