2008 London Mayoral elections thread

[Undesired Walrus]

Great, bumbling Boris is going up against grizzly, crass Ken.

I am worried that Boris Johnson is going to get the 'Oh-but-he's-a-laugh' vote, and I can see people who would never vote for conservative in their life would vote for him. I quite possibly may have been one of those people, until I saw his idea for a 'crime map' website. It will, IIRC, monitor crime hotspots so Londoners can avoid them. I take great objection to this, as I see it as a marganilising tool. He could have got me with the abolition of the bendy bus, but not now.

I used to like Ken, and what he did, but I cannot feel he overspends London's money on religous celebrations, such as Eid in the Square. He is also a bit of a loudmouth.

And I may vote for Brian Paddick, but I'd be voting for the Lib Dems then, and I would not be able to stand the Lib Dems taking control of London.

[mrbaracuda]

Who?

[Cylinder]

I quite possibly may have been one of those people, until I saw his idea for a 'crime map' website. It will, IIRC, monitor crime hotspots so Londoners can avoid them. I take great objection to this, as I see it as a marganilising tool.

What in kidney pie do you find wrong with that idea? What would be marginalized? The community labeled as "high crime?" I would think that would be empowering for those residents who actually wanted to do something about crime in their neighborhood.

As a member of USAFE (see avatar) I was stationed in East Anglia and made frequent trips to the city. It was safe at the time - the mid 1990s - provided you stayed in crowded areas. I've had a couple of what I thought were potential mugging events (being followed by strangers who wanted to get me to follow for drugs, whores, etc...)

Oh yea, I was assaulted at Hyde Park Corner once as well, but the guy was just putting on a show for the crowd and really wasn't trying to injure me. A couple of brawny blokes on my side of the argument stepped in for moral support and all was well. Luckily, my best mate snapped a pic with the gent's hands around my throat. Ahh, the memories.

[Camillus]

Boris has my vote. I voted for Ken the first time round only because he was winding up Blair but I knew what a self serving, venal unreconstructed dinosaur he is. Then he compounded it all by rejoining the Labour party, introducing the bendy buses and lumbering us with the Olympics. I would never vote for Ken and Brian Paddick is a Lib Dem (a party of half-wits, lunatics and nicompoops) so there's no chance of him getting my vote either.

Boris will have to make a serious mistake to lose my vote (mind you, given Boris's track record...). My wife, who has never voted in any of the elections she could have done, is motivated enough by the bendy bus issue to actually support Boris and has promised me she will vote.

[JonWhite]

Finding Livingstone, Johnson & Paddick to each be unworthy such as for reasons above, there's always Sian Berry as the usual Green Party protest vote:

Sian Berry (http://sianformayor.org.uk/index.php)

[Undesired Walrus]

Paddick is a homosexual ex-copper, so we could have four years of morally questionable jokes.

THE SUN
'Has the mayor hung up his truncheon for good?'

or

'The election cycle arrives, and Paddick is not afraid of a stiff one'

ad infinitum

[Small Town Jesus]

I used to like Ken a lot and still have some sympathy for him but two terms is enough and it's really time for him to move on.
Boris is highly amusing in a genial idiot kind of way but I fear he could be a disaster as mayor of London. It's a real job that needs to be taken seriously. He'd make a hilarious head of state though. Move over Liz.
Paddick is probably the best of a sorry looking bunch but has no real chance.
So, as I could give a monkey's about bendy buses I'll vote Ken to keep Boris out.

[Undesired Walrus]

Been watching the debates and thank London for having a proper democratic system aside from our archaic royal system and its lower government.

Going to vote for Ken. Crime down 6%, and I only got mugged once last year!

Can I convince anyone to vote against bumbling Boris, who has no idea about the routemasters, their design and their cost?

[Nancarrow]

Paddick will be my first choice. But of course we get a second choice, which, the way things'll work out, mean it's basically got to be Ken or Boris. So here's your opportunity to bri- I mean, persuade me!

[Undesired Walrus]

Ken has increased London's solidarity. Examples of this have been the introduction of transport which is accessible for the disabled, freedom pass for the over-60's, and free travel for schoolkids. Boris does not have a clue about these routemasters and, let's remember, supported Clause 28 and opposed the Kyoto treaty. Plus, Ken has done more for the enviroment of London than any green party with his highly original congestion charge.

Paddick is very liberal, and appears to support a live-and-let-live concept. For London I feel this is a perversion of what it is. London is tolerant of all and so it should be, but this doesn't mean you can neglet an urgent desire to change their minds of views you feel are false. Given that it is the most diverse city in the world, London should be the city of ideas, not extreme tred-softy-respect.

[kallsop]

The terrorists will be right upset if their buddy Red Ken loses control of Londonistan.

[Undesired Walrus]

Do you wish to clarify on that comment, or keep it in its unenlightened, mindless state?

The seeds of Londonistan were set into motion long before Ken became mayor. That Omar Bakri was allowed to remain in Britain throughout the 90's is a finger youcan lay on the conservative party. That man was a cancer, and was finally kicked out when labour took over.