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Tory rising star Zac Goldsmith today electrified the battle for Mayor of London by setting his sights on City Hall.

The charismatic MP and environmentalist said he wants to stand as Boris Johnson’s successor after being urged to do so by people “from across the political spectrum” - providing his Richmond Park constituents agree.

His move comes a week after Haringey Labour leader Claire Kober warned that Mr Goldsmith’s broad appeal could sink her party’s hopes of reclaiming the mayoralty in 2016 if he stood.

Speaking exclusively to the Evening Standard he claimed could get the best deal for London as an independent-minded Conservative.

Stopping a third runway at Heathrow airport and cleaning up London’s environment would be among key policies if he is picked as official Tory candidate.

In a unique exercise, the Tory MP is spending tens of thousands of pounds on a postal ballot to give his Richmond Park constituents the last word on whether he runs or not.

He said: “I have just been re-elected as MP and it’s important to know whether or not my constituents are happy for me to run for Mayor. They must have the right to say no and it is now up to them to decide without interference.”

Mr Goldsmith is writing to all 77,000 of the local voters who re-elected him with a 23,015 majority enclosing a postage-paid voting paper with the question: “Do you give your consent to Zac Goldsmith to stand for election to be Mayor of London.”

The outward postage alone will cost £41,000 while if half the local voters reply he will have to pay another £12,000 in mailing fees.

In a covering letter he said he would honour their verdict by abandoning his ambition if they said no. But he wrote: “Since being re-elected, I have been approached by many people from across the political spectrum and none, urging me to put my name forward to the Conservative candidate for Mayor of London”.

If he wins next year he is expected to quit his seat in Parliament, triggering a by-election.

Mr Goldsmith said he would use the mayoral platform to “mend our politics”, boost High Streets, improve transport and provide a healthier environment.

“However I will only seek my party’s nomination for Mayor with your consent,” he vowed. They have until Monday June 22 to respond.

Mr Goldsmith was pressed to stand by Boris Johnson, a close friend and anti-Heathrow ally.

Like Boris, he is an unusual political figure. The son of the late billionaire financier Sir James Goldsmith, he was expelled from Eton for possessing cannabis and later edited the Ecologist magazine.

As an MP, Mr Goldsmith led the campaign for recall laws, saying voters should have the power to sack MPs who behave improperly.

Ms Kober, Labour leader of Haringey, named him as “the greatest potential obstacle to Labour winning City Hall”. Despite Labour being ahead in London at the general election, she said he could attract enough Greens and Liberal Democrats to win on second preferences.

Mr Goldsmith could become a headache for David Cameron because of his opposition to Heathrow expansion. He has threatened to force a by-election if the Prime Minister tries to sanction a third runway. However senior Tories say the prize of beating Labour in 2016 would make it worthwhile to have a rebel at City Hall.

A YouGov poll for the Evening Standard in December found Mr Goldsmith was the only potential Tory candidate who was well-known to Londoners. Last month Green peer Baroness Jenny Jones said many Greens would probably prefer him to a Labour rival.