This is a city which dares to be different. It has so far delivered three contrasting Mayors who have each captured Londoner’s hearts and minds in their own way. So who better to succeed them than someone completely different again: a female Liberal Democrat?

I offer an ambitious green deal, business-friendly policies and a tough approach to crime and its causes. I was born in Wimbledon and have spent my whole life living in, and loving, the city. I want it to be better for everyone.

The Mayor of London has admitted that knife crime keeps him awake at night. I know, from my own meetings with families who have to live with the loss of their loved ones, what an unbearable weight this is to bear. With fatal stabbings of teenagers in the capital having risen to their highest level in over a decade under his watch, I can understand why he is losing sleep.

As well as the tragedy of so many young lives lost, the perception of London as a violent capital is causing more young people to carry knives out of fear for their own safety. It’s a vicious spiral of terror, confrontations and fatalities. To break that spiral we need bold leadership and a greater sense of urgency.

I won’t claim that my hands are tied, or blame central government. I will bring back proper community policing, reopen police stations and double officers in local teams. I will launch a London Youth Service, with activities, support and mentoring for every young person. It will be led by a Young Mayor of London paid for out of my own salary. I will make sure no child is permanently excluded from mainstream education and dragged into a life of crime, and I will host a school inclusion summit.

I am also the only candidate brave enough to take power away from drugs gangs by legalising and regulating cannabis. London can lead the way.

We must also be bolder on the environment. My ambition for London will be to reach zero carbon by 2030. The only way we can do that is by placing a green lens over everything we do at City Hall, from planning and our built environment to London’s transport network. I won’t invest in dirty projects such as the Silvertown Tunnel, or support polluting airport expansion. I will prioritise walking and cycling schemes, invest in green infrastructure, move towards smart road-user charging, protect green spaces and, as new developments are built, ensure that we value biodiversity as much as we do bricks and mortar.

This is not a political game for me. London is the best city on Earth but it pains me that so many things are not working. Knife crime is out of control; rough sleeping is at its highest level in years; there is toxic air pollution; and commuters are suffering every day due to the fares freeze and Crossrail delay.

My vision is for a London that is safer, greener and kinder, where people and businesses can thrive. I have the experience, energy and skills to deliver it.

Siobhan Benita is the Liberal Democrat candidate for Mayor of London