Comments on Obsolete: Why Ken lost to Boris.

Well yes, but it's discriminatory towards tourists...

2008-05-05T20:33:00.000+01:00

Well yes, but it's discriminatory towards tourists or day-trippers. If you're attempting to be an open, welcoming city, or the greatest/most popular city in the world then it's hardly the best way to encourage them to either return or make their cash go a little further.

Good analysis. This is rubbish though:"for those w...

2008-05-05T12:50:00.000+01:00

Good analysis. This is rubbish though:

"for those without an Oyster card £4.00 for one trip on the Tube is obscene"

No - anyone too moronic to go to a ticket window and pay a £3 deposit thorougly deserves to pay £4 for each trip they make. It's effectively saying "Oyster is the way we do ticketing; if you insist you can pay cash, but because it's more expensive for us to handle and we're only doing it as a favour, you'll need to pay a massive premium". What's the problem there?

"Unfortunately for Ken, Bexley & Bromley, Havering & Redbridge and Ealing & Hillingdon can't just be ignored!

Unfortunately for everyone, some might say...

Actually I did mention Oliver Finegold in #3. Nev...

2008-05-05T04:41:00.000+01:00

Actually I did mention Oliver Finegold in #3. Never really been sure where support for ID cards comes into on the Mayoral elections, as nothing the Mayor can do can affect them, but apart from that I completely agree.

Fine post over on DK's too, not usually my favourite blog but I shall have to look out for your stuff on there. Katy in the comments talks a lot of sense as well.

Excellent post, full of sense and a real contrast ...

2008-05-05T02:45:00.000+01:00

Excellent post, full of sense and a real contrast with some of the idiocy that you highlighted in the first paragraph (and I excoriated over at DK's place).

All of the reasons you've given are surely part of the reason Boris overcame Ken. #8 has to be high on the list, considering the nation-wide swing away from Labour. #9 is definitely important as well. The Evening Standard did hammer Ken, but he gave them ample opportunity especially by not ditching Jasper as soon as the scandal broke and letting it run and run. Qaradawi was an appalling piece of bad judgement as well. As was his "concentration camp guard" attack on a Standard journalist, which you didn't mention in your post.

I would add his support for ID cards and the fact that while Boris had a line in facetious racism when he was a columnist, Ken to this day has a line in flippant Orwellianism (see my post here). These things may seem minor, but along with the support for Ian Blair you mentioned they rather put off Lib Dem-leaning floating voters like myself.

I also think some of the criticism of Ken for being a 'Zone 1 Mayor' is justified (and, of course, if the elections had been held in inner London only Ken would have won). Unfortunately for Ken, Bexley & Bromley, Havering & Redbridge and Ealing & Hillingdon can't just be ignored!