Syrian man offers to host sofa surfing Mayor of London candidate

Rory Stewart said he was very excited by the idea of a Syrian breakfast

epa07623339 Britain's International Development Secretary, Rory Stewart (R) addresses a crowd gathered at Speaker's corner in Hyde Park in central London, Britain 03 June 2019. Media reports state that Rory Stewart, a contestant in the Conservative Party leadership contest to replace Theresa May as British Prime Minister, is a dark-horse candidate that has hijacked the contest with a surprising social media campaign.  EPA/FACUNDO ARRIZABALAGA
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A Syrian man has offered to host Rory Stewart at his house in London, after the Mayor of London candidate unveiled on Tuesday an unorthodox campaign tactic to stay on people’s sofas to learn more about the city.

The scheme, called #ComeKipWithMe, involves Mr Stewart staying on someone’s sofa or floor for the night so he can listen to their concerns about the British capital.

In a video he posted on Twitter, Mr Stewart promised to “bring a sleeping bag, and a box of chocolate” for his hosts. He told Sky News on Wednesday that he has already had more than 1,000 requests to host him.

Writing on Twitter on Wednesday, Hassan Akkad offered the former Conservative MP a place to stay for “a night or two”.

"Salam @RoryStewartUK – my partner and I just signed up to host you for a night or two to chat about all things London. Hope you accept our invite. Expect a massive Syrian breakfast in the morning," he wrote.

Mr Stewart quickly replied the next day, saying he was very excited at the idea of a Syrian breakfast.

London’s mayoral election is slated for May 7. Mr Stewart, who is running as an independent, is up against current Labour mayor Sadiq Khan, who is favourite to win. Mr Khan is also London’s first Muslim mayor.

Second in the polls is Shaun Bailey, a former youth worker, running for the Conservative party. Siobhan Benita of the Liberal Democrats and Sian Berry of the Green party are also in the running.