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London's mayoral race under way Livingstone opens re-election bid
(about 2 hours later)
Nominations are opening for the London mayoral election, with Labour's Ken Livingstone facing his biggest challenge since taking office in 2000. London Mayor Ken Livingstone is launching his campaign for re-election, promising better transport, more affordable housing and more police.
He is competing with Conservative Boris Johnson and Lib Dem Brian Paddick, with about ten others expected to stand. He is urging voters on 1 May to "keep London on the path" it has been on during his eight years in office.
Mr Livingstone launches his bid for a third term at the Royal Festival Hall, while Mr Johnson is visiting Tooting. Nominations earlier opened, marking the official start of campaigning which has gone on unofficially for months.
A poll for the Evening Standard suggested Mr Johnson had 49%, Mr Livingstone 37% and Mr Paddick 12%. The main challengers to Mr Livingstone, Labour are Boris Johnson, Conservative, and Brian Paddick, Liberal Democrat.
Other candidates polled 3% in the YouGov poll. There are about another 10 candidates expected to stand, although London Elects says it will not disclose who has officially entered the race until nominations close on 28 March.
The mayoral election and London Assembly elections take place on 1 May, with nominations due to close on 28 March. 'Holding down fares'
Thirteen candidates have said they will stand for the top job. Mr Livingstone, launching his bid at the Royal Festival Hall, is promising to take on another 1,000 police over the next year and build at least 50,000 affordable homes over the next three years.
Transport battle His campaign pledges to "continue improving bus services, modernise the Tube, build Crossrail and improve London rail services through London Overground to raise service and safety standards, while holding down fares".
Mr Livingstone has already unveiled his transport manifesto, with plans for a £16bn cross-London Crossrail project and a £1bn-a-year Tube modernisation. Mr Livingstone says he would work with London boroughs to ensure all residential streets have 20mph speed limits and criticised Mr Johnson for opposing his policy of charging £25 a day for people driving "gas-guzzlers" within the congestion charge zone.
He says he wants to raise the standards of service and security on London's overground rail services, and continue improvements to the bus network. MAYORAL CANDIDATES Alan Craig Christian Peoples Alliance & The Christian PartyBoris JohnsonConservative partyBrian PaddickLiberal Democrat partyChris Prior Stop The Congestion Charge partyDamian HockneyOne London partyDennis DelderfieldNew BritainGerard Batten UKIPKen Livingstone Labour partyLindsey GermanLeft List partyMatt O'ConnorEnglish Democrats partyRichard Barnbrook BNPSian Berry Green partyWinston McKenzie Independent
MAYORAL CANDIDATES Alan Craig Christian Peoples Alliance & The Christian PartyBoris JohnsonConservative partyBrian PaddickLiberal Democrat partyChris Prior Stop The Congestion Charge partyDamian HockneyOne London partyDennis DelderfieldNew BritainGerard Batten UKIPKen Livingstone Labour partyLindsey GermanRespect partyMatt O'ConnorEnglish Democrats partyRichard Barnbrook BNPSian Berry Green partyWinston McKenzie Independent
There are also plans for a central London bike hire scheme, involving 6,000 bicycles, with each one available for free use for the first 30 minutes and found at regular intervals on streets throughout the area.There are also plans for a central London bike hire scheme, involving 6,000 bicycles, with each one available for free use for the first 30 minutes and found at regular intervals on streets throughout the area.
Mr Johnson, also Tory MP for Henley, a topical quiz show host and former magazine editor, plans to mark the official campaign's start with a visit to Tooting to discuss crime in the area. Mr Livingstone said: "There is a majority in London that wants to keep moving our city forward - economically, socially, in a multicultural city and on the environment. If that majority votes on 1 May it will win again.
"I believe Londoners do not want to turn the clock back - they want to continue to work together to make London better in the way they have in the last eight years."
A YouGov survey for the Evening Standard suggests Mr Johnson has the support of 49% of London voters, with Mr Livingstone on 37% and Mr Paddick on 12%. Other candidates polled 3%.
The mayoral election and London Assembly elections take place on 1 May, with nominations closing on 28 March.
Mr Johnson, also Tory MP for Henley and a former magazine editor, is marking the official campaign's start with a visit to Tooting to discuss crime in the area.
His transport manifesto includes scrapping bendy buses in favour of Routemasters - which would have conductors and disabled access and be run on environmentally friendly fuel.His transport manifesto includes scrapping bendy buses in favour of Routemasters - which would have conductors and disabled access and be run on environmentally friendly fuel.
He would also pay for more police officers to patrol buses and railway platforms, and encourage union bosses to agree not to strike on the London Underground, in a deal with Tube bosses.He would also pay for more police officers to patrol buses and railway platforms, and encourage union bosses to agree not to strike on the London Underground, in a deal with Tube bosses.
Mr Paddick, a former Metropolitan Police commander, has pledged to put London's "hallmark" black cabs at the centre of his transport policies.Mr Paddick, a former Metropolitan Police commander, has pledged to put London's "hallmark" black cabs at the centre of his transport policies.
He wants to give licensed black cab drivers a seat on the board of Transport for London and to hold a consultation on whether rickshaws should be licensed or banned. He wants to give licensed drivers a seat on the board of Transport for London and to hold a consultation on whether rickshaws should be licensed or banned.