Next Mayor of London

DonDaddyD

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think Boris should retain the role. He hasn't been bad he hasn't really made unpopular decisions. I like the congestion charge not being extended. I like the look of the new Boris bus and sure the Boris bike started with the previous establishment but Boris saw it through to completion.

He hasn't managed to curb the absurd rage of the train unions. But give him another term I think Boris will think of something to deal with those "oiks".

Anyway, your thoughts on Boris and whether he'll win next years mayoral election?

At this rate he may very well be a serious candidate to lead the Tory part.... Greg.

TheStone

Can we not have a mayor and just each keep the £300 odd quid to spend on something we want?

Koncordski

Anyone but Ken Livingstone gets my vote. He behaves more like a third world dictator plotting a coup than a mayoral candidate.

bigmat

Agreed, with those stellar candidates we'd be better off without. Has Boris worked out how to produce his "Boris buses" at anything approaching a feasible cost yet? Potentially the biggest waste of money since the NHS IT sysyem, buses are sh*te, their only useful purpose being that they result in bus lanes for cycling in - lets not spend more than the bare minimum on them, eh?

rjsterry

That "not that bad" is the best you can say for him is pretty damning tbh. For a supposedly pro-cycling mayor, Boris has failed to rein in TfL's must-keep-traffic-speed-up-at-all-costs approach to road safety. The CS's are a mixed blessing at best, and downright dangerous in places. Not blown away by the alternatives either.

rick_chasey

Red Ken, but only because he brough the Tour here in '07 and the olympics in > he seemed genuinely pro bike, rather than pro-any transport.

prj45

Boris Johnson has been an utter disaster for London and a massive massive disaster for cycling in the capital which continues to rise DESPITE not because of his pro car policies.

Pretty much anything good that's occurred under his watch was initiated by Livingstone, Boris himself seems to be more interested in vanity projects, and he cancelled lots of stuff initiated by Livingstone that he frankly shouldn't have.

Stevo_666

Seems most of the posts support red Ken but most of ther votes have gone to Boris...what was that phrase about the 'vocal minority' ? :-)

prj45

Stevo 666 wrote:

but most of ther votes have gone to Boris

Sigh, we can't really help with the badly misinformed. Apparently if you inform them of what's actually happening rather than what they think is going on it only goes to entrenche their misinformed views.

pete54

Surely voting for Jenny Jones is a no-brainer if you are cyclist?

Any cyclist contemplating casting a vote for Boris obviously hasn't been following the events surrounding Bow roundabout, King's Cross, Tory walk-outs at City Hall etc. etc.

Or was the OP being satirical?

Stevo_666

prj45 wrote:

Sigh, we can't really help with the badly misinformed. Apparently if you inform them of what's actually happening rather than what they think is going on it only goes to entrenche their misinformed views.

So you define 'badly misinformed' as anyone who doesn't agree with your view on this? Very handy.

greg66_tri_v2.0

So if comrade Ken gets back in, will he extend the CC zone back to capture the Western area?

Anyone who thinks Boris undertakes vanity projects must be blind to the fact that Ken undertakes ego projects.

First.Aspect

Nick Clegg.

He'll be out of work fairly soon. Seems like a good bloke.

squired

It will take me a long time to forget the comments Ken made after the rioting/looting in August to gain political points. As a result, despite the fact I don't think he's done much, I'd go for Boris. He has after all had the role at a time when budgets are being cut, so probably hasn't been able to do many of the things he was planning to.

rick_chasey

Do people actually rate Boris as a good governor?

Or is it just 'anything but Ken'?

notsoblue

Why do people dislike Ken Livingston? Is it his personality or something specific he did when he was mayor?

rick_chasey

notsoblue wrote:

Why do people dislike Ken Livingston? Is it his personality or something specific he did when he was mayor?

Strikes me that Ken is one of the few politicians who's quite clear on what he wants, and who his politics favour.

If you're not favoured, I'd presume you'd hate him.

Not sure if that's it, since I don't mind him.

The Rookie

The trouble with Ken for me is on chat shows and the like he comes across as a reasonable, intelligent and sensible kind of bloke, then he gets into power and makes Stalin seem a bit soft - aknowlaging that the extreme left as represented by Stalin (allegedely) and the extreme right as represented by Hitler (allegedely) seem to loop round and just about join each other.

Ken's pet projects ran out of control, Boris's seem to have at least been seen to a logical and 'come to an end' conclusion.

With AVERAGE traffic speed of 10mph in London, I can understand the need to keep AVERAGE speed's up, this could be done my decreasing the amount well below average allowing the maxiumum peak speeds to be reduced and still increase the average (noting most fatal cyclist accidents seem to happen at lower speeds than 30 mph for the motorised vehicle anyway).

Simon

il_principe

Anyone rather than Ken. Not best pleased with Boris, but couldn't stomach a return to Ken and his rampant cronyism.

rick_chasey

Il Principe wrote:

Anyone rather than Ken. Not best pleased with Boris, but couldn't stomach a return to Ken and his rampant cronyism.

Is he worse than Boris for cronyism?

Or is it better hidden by Boris?

( I don't have an answer by the way).

Alinshearah

Boris put the "rofl" into Mayor of London

il_principe

Rick Chasey wrote:

Il Principe wrote:

Anyone rather than Ken. Not best pleased with Boris, but couldn't stomach a return to Ken and his rampant cronyism.

Is he worse than Boris for cronyism?

Or is it better hidden by Boris?

( I don't have an answer by the way).

Well there's been little "smoke" under Boris, there was plenty under Ken. Not to mention Ken's dealing with the likes of Chavez. I also finely it mildly depressing that Ken is allowed to stand again. He's had his chance, why the hell can't Labour find anyone else to put up? I guess because they don't actually have anyone with an ounce of charisma...

rick_chasey

Il Principe wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Il Principe wrote:

Anyone rather than Ken. Not best pleased with Boris, but couldn't stomach a return to Ken and his rampant cronyism.

Is he worse than Boris for cronyism?

Or is it better hidden by Boris?

( I don't have an answer by the way).

Well there's been little "smoke" under Boris, there was plenty under Ken. Not to mention Ken's dealing with the likes of Chavez. I also finely it mildly depressing that Ken is allowed to stand again. He's had his chance, why the hell can't Labour find anyone else to put up? I guess because they don't actually have anyone with an ounce of charisma...

Wasn't his first term as an independent?

Not sure about the final bit.


Where I sit, I think the right in London get heard more than their fare share, so someone like Livingstone, who at least has the balls to do something, is good for a bit of balance.

I don't drive either, so the whole congestion charge thing largely passes me by.

I didn't live in London when Ken was about, but beyond the congestion charge, what did he actually do that was so unpopular?

For Boris I cringe every time I see him, and I genuinely can't picture him being a good govenor (politics aside). He strikes me as an excellent vote-winner and a poor mayor. His chat about finance is also a little off-putting, though then again the City hardly did badly with Ken around..

rjsterry

Il Principe wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Il Principe wrote:

Anyone rather than Ken. Not best pleased with Boris, but couldn't stomach a return to Ken and his rampant cronyism.

Is he worse than Boris for cronyism?

Or is it better hidden by Boris?

( I don't have an answer by the way).

Well there's been little "smoke" under Boris, there was plenty under Ken. Not to mention Ken's dealing with the likes of Chavez. I also finely it mildly depressing that Ken is allowed to stand again. He's had his chance, why the hell can't Labour find anyone else to put up? I guess because they don't actually have anyone with an ounce of charisma...

Well, Boris did get through deputy mayors (mostly chums) on an almost weekly basis at the start of his term - maybe he's just burnt through them quicker than Ken. Agree that Labour don't seem interested in providing a credible alternative. My political leanings would lead me to Paddick, but he has yet to actively inspire any particular support from me.

edhornby

(although I'm a resident of manchester so I can only look from the outside) it seems to me that neither boris nor ken are really what is needed as they are too divisive, maybe Paddick; ex copper, no party ties, could be a good option

greg66_tri_v2.0

Rick Chasey wrote:

Wasn't his first term as an independent?

Yes. A quick canter through wiki discloses that he ran for the Labour nomination and said he wouldn't run as an independent if he didn't get it.

He didn't get it. Then ran as an independent.

His coup d'etat desposing Andrew McIntosh as leader of the GLC is also not one of his finest hours.

I'm sure he's a nice bloke, and I could (almost) see myself getting on with him were he a neighbour. I wouldn't trust him with a fete tombola stand though.

I regard him as someone who is more interested in imposing on London what he wants than giving London what it wants.

rick_chasey

Greg66 wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Wasn't his first term as an independent?

Yes. A quick canter through wiki discloses that he ran for the Labour nomination and said he wouldn't run as an independent if he didn't get it.

He didn't get it. Then ran as an independent.

His coup d'etat desposing Andrew McIntosh as leader of the GLC is also not one of his finest hours.

I'm sure he's a nice bloke, and I could (almost) see myself getting on with him were he a neighbour. I wouldn't trust him with a fete tombola stand though.

I regard him as someone who is more interested in imposing on London what he wants than giving London what it wants.

I guess that's the difference.

Do you vote in someone to do what you want, or do you vote them in to trust that they'll do what they think is best.

notsoblue

Greg66 wrote:

I regard him as someone who is more interested in imposing on London what he wants than giving London what it wants.

I guess your opinion of him depends on who you mean by "London" in this case. Its quite a hetrogenous congregation to be fair...

prj45

Il Principe wrote:

Well there's been little "smoke" under Boris, there was plenty under Ken.

I wonder why...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/davehillbl ... nick-clegg

prj45

Jenny Jones wrote:

Boris continues to ignore own TfL stats that show #cyclesafety is *worse* since he elected. Ignorant or lying?

https://twitter.com/#!/GreenJennyJones/ ... 1811587072

cyclingprop

Rick Chasey wrote:

Where I sit, I think the right in London get heard more than their fare share, so someone like Livingstone, who at least has the balls to do something, is good for a bit of balance.

Really?
38 Lab/ 28 Con/ 7 LD seats in Greater London.
Lab hold 52~% of the seats for 37~% of the vote

If the left don't get heard enough, then their representatives need to learn to speak and be heard. You could argue a Conservative mayor helps with the balance with those stats...