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Boris wins, London doesn't Boris wins, London doesn't
(about 9 hours later)
It's nothing personal, but that's how I feel. Other results have cheered me: Jenny Jones finishing third in the mayoral race and and holding her assembly seat, along with Green colleague Darren Johnson; the Lib Dems losing only one of their previous three seats; Labour boosting its numbers to 12, though one more would have created the potential for an alliance with the Greens and Lib Dems to block Boris's budgets; Brian Coleman's comeuppance, although I will kind of miss him... It's nothing personal, but that's how I feel. Other results have cheered me: Jenny Jones finishing third in the mayoral race and holding her assembly seat, along with Green colleague Darren Johnson; the Lib Dems losing only one of their previous three assembly seats; Labour boosting its numbers to 12, though one more would have created the potential for an alliance with the Greens and Lib Dems to block Boris's budgets; Brian Coleman's comeuppance, although I will kind of miss him...
Ken Livingstone's defeat, so painfully narrow, is a blow for the simple reasons I wanted him to win: much better transport and housing policies; a superior approach to dealing with serious youth violence; a more coherent and creative sense of London's future development; a greater appetite for the core business of the job; a gut desire to oppose the damage Conservative policies are doing to London. Seems reasonable enough, but not to be. Here's the start of my piece on Boris's win and Ken's defeat for Comment is Free. Ken Livingstone's defeat, so painfully narrow, is a blow for the very simple reason that I preferred what he was offering to Boris's void of a manifesto: much better transport and housing policies; a superior approach to dealing with serious youth violence; a more coherent and creative sense of London's future development; a greater appetite for the core business of the job; a gut desire to oppose the damage Conservative policies are doing to London. Seems reasonable, but not enough Londoners agreed with me. Here's the start of my piece on Boris's win and Ken's defeat for Comment is Free.
Boris Johnson's narrow re-election as London's executive mayor is a shiny consolation for a Conservative party battered in elections elsewhere, but a glum result for London and for the institution of London mayor itself. In 2008 Johnson inherited good policies and big budgets from his Labour predecessor Ken Livingstone, whom he has vanquished for a second time. But the celebrity Tory begins his second term with less cash and little ideological inclination to put the recently increased powers at his disposal to good use.Boris Johnson's narrow re-election as London's executive mayor is a shiny consolation for a Conservative party battered in elections elsewhere, but a glum result for London and for the institution of London mayor itself. In 2008 Johnson inherited good policies and big budgets from his Labour predecessor Ken Livingstone, whom he has vanquished for a second time. But the celebrity Tory begins his second term with less cash and little ideological inclination to put the recently increased powers at his disposal to good use.
His first four years were characterised by much civic jollity of the type associated with ceremonial, gold-chain mayors and, in policy terms, an ever-closer conformity to Tory type – a journey confirmed two years ago by the arrival of David Cameron in No 10. His over-reported rivalry with his fellow Conservative has helped conceal the two men's shared political goals, illustrated in Johnson's case by the cultivation of links with powerful media and business interests, a preoccupation with cutting "waste" whatever the consequences and, most importantly, a regressive approach to urban development dignified as "listening to Londoners".His first four years were characterised by much civic jollity of the type associated with ceremonial, gold-chain mayors and, in policy terms, an ever-closer conformity to Tory type – a journey confirmed two years ago by the arrival of David Cameron in No 10. His over-reported rivalry with his fellow Conservative has helped conceal the two men's shared political goals, illustrated in Johnson's case by the cultivation of links with powerful media and business interests, a preoccupation with cutting "waste" whatever the consequences and, most importantly, a regressive approach to urban development dignified as "listening to Londoners".
One of the cliches walked most regularly round the block is that the London mayor is little more than a glorified bus service regulator, but the scope of the office, though limited, is greater than that. The job also attracts a big spotlight, and with it big chances to lobby and protest.One of the cliches walked most regularly round the block is that the London mayor is little more than a glorified bus service regulator, but the scope of the office, though limited, is greater than that. The job also attracts a big spotlight, and with it big chances to lobby and protest.
Johnson's first-term record, closely monitored by a handful of journalists and independent bloggers, reveals little inclination to tackle the deeper structural, environmental and social impediments to London's long-term progression as an efficient, generous, capitalist metropolis. Road-traffic congestion, over-priced public transport, poor air quality, a chronic and corrosive accommodation crisis and a frightening, sometimes criminal, disaffection among many of London's young have gone unchallenged to the point of neglect.Johnson's first-term record, closely monitored by a handful of journalists and independent bloggers, reveals little inclination to tackle the deeper structural, environmental and social impediments to London's long-term progression as an efficient, generous, capitalist metropolis. Road-traffic congestion, over-priced public transport, poor air quality, a chronic and corrosive accommodation crisis and a frightening, sometimes criminal, disaffection among many of London's young have gone unchallenged to the point of neglect.
For all the fuss made about his occasional public deviations from the government's line, Johnson's approach is in tight alignment with it. Far from being an autonomous defender of Londoners' interests, the mayoralty is now effectively an instrument of central government policy. Johnson is already compliant with Westminster-imposed damage to employment, housing and welfare in concert with aggressive, Tory-run boroughs. He could block, impede and loudly complain. A Mayor Livingstone would have done so.For all the fuss made about his occasional public deviations from the government's line, Johnson's approach is in tight alignment with it. Far from being an autonomous defender of Londoners' interests, the mayoralty is now effectively an instrument of central government policy. Johnson is already compliant with Westminster-imposed damage to employment, housing and welfare in concert with aggressive, Tory-run boroughs. He could block, impede and loudly complain. A Mayor Livingstone would have done so.
The rest is here. Goodnight.The rest is here. Goodnight.