Idris Elba does not have the "courage" to enter politics.

The 52-year-old actor was recently named as a possible candidate for mayor of London in the next election, but he is adamant that he does not have what it takes to swap Hollywood for City Hall.

"I think we have to give credit to the people who go into politics — the life cycle and the learning curve to become a politician means you have to acquire that courage very early on, because then you face these impossible difficulties. It's about your judgment; it's about what you know, what you've learned, what you've been through, and your courage. So I realized I don't have the courage to go into politics, that's for sure!" the movie star explained at the Venice Film Festival in Italy.

His comments came after Elba, who was born and raised in London, was announced as a potential candidate for the Labour Party in the next mayoral election, which is likely to take place in 2028, as the current mayor, Sadiq Khan, is not expected to run again.

Idris has star appeal, but he is also a thoughtful political activist. Labour has a choice of who to put forward in London. We can choose a Labour Party member and try to make them famous. Or we can choose someone famous who agrees with the Labour Party. Idris would be at the top of our list of desired candidates," a source told The Sun newspaper.

"Idris is an unlikely choice, but some in the party have talked about him," said another source.

Elba has already received praise for spearheading the "Don't Stop Your Future" campaign to combat knife crime in his hometown.

The campaign called for a ban on machetes and "zombie" knives in an attempt to end the wave of brutal knife attacks and youth violence. The movie star launched it by unveiling an installation in Parliament Square in London, which featured piles of clothes, each symbolizing a person killed in a knife attack.

He also released a single titled "Knives Down" to raise awareness of these issues.

Speaking at the launch of the campaign, the actor explained: "I cannot remain silent while more and more young people lose their lives as a result of these brutal and heartless crimes. As the new school year begins, too many young people will not be joining their classmates, and too many grieving families have lost a beloved young person in recent years."

"Young people are our future, their potential deserves to be realized, not taken away by violence. Parliament has repeatedly failed to give this issue the attention it deserves, and our political leaders must now make it a priority. In addition to an immediate ban on zombie knives and machetes, we must give young people more reasons not to carry weapons at all. This means investing in services that tackle the root causes of violence," he added. | BGNES