The 2024 London Mayoral Election

[DC1989]

All three Mayors so far already had a certain amount of profile (Khan maybe less but he was in the shadow cabinet) - I doubt that most Londoners have heard of Hall before.

Also the current Tory membership have moved a long way culturally from rich, internationalist, socially liberal Londoners who would need to vote them in. I suspect the most hardcore Tories are also those most likely to relocate or retire outside London so they won't get a vote.

Interestingly Outer London Tories along with Scottish borders tories are actually the most 'sticky' tory voters that they have. I think it's because each of those groups can rationalise that the things that are bad in the country are because of the local government and that allows them a reason to stick with the tories

 

[telstarbox]

Although if you look at Electoral Calculus this forecasts the Tories to lose outer London constituencies including Uxbridge, Bromley, Croydon South, Chingford, Chipping Barnet and others to Labour.

 

[THC]

Interestingly Outer London Tories along with Scottish borders tories are actually the most 'sticky' tory voters that they have. I think it's because each of those groups can rationalise that the things that are bad in the country are because of the local government and that allows them a reason to stick with the tories

Ironic when one considers it is the deliberate policy of managed decline of local government that has been perpetuated by none other than the party they support.

THC

 

[Busaholic]

Ironic when one considers it is the deliberate policy of managed decline of local government that has been perpetuated by none other than the party they support.

THC

This hasn't penetrated their skulls, and probably never would.

 

[Thirteen]

Rob Blackie and Zoe Garbett have pledged to build new tram and tube lines. Now I can see where you could build a new tram line such as the Sutton Link but building a new tube line other than maybe extending the Bakerloo Line is fantasy at best.

Wonder when Sadiq Khan and Susan Hall will publish their manifesto?

 

[PGAT]

Vote green and you get blue :/

 

[317 forever]

Vote green and you get blue :/

That could happen if Zoe gets in and she extends the Piccadilly Line

 

[PeterC]

Following comments on social media it's disturbing to see how many voters don't understand what the Mayor is responsible for and what the boroughs are responsible for. LTNs being a prime example.

 

[Busaholic]

Following comments on social media it's disturbing to see how many voters don't understand what the Mayor is responsible for and what the boroughs are responsible for. LTNs being a prime example.

The authorities themselves and the political parties running them are just as responsible for this state of affairs with so many opaque decisions, often behind closed doors. LTNs, for instance, should be subject to local referendums, as they have been in Paris and in many other countries. IMO the whole Mayoral concept only adds to the erosion of local democracy in any case.

 

[Cdd89]

LTNs being a prime example.

LTNs are an interesting example. They’re one of those things that are so divisive, they draw votes from people who are not otherwise into politics - people tend to vote in order to vote against something, not for something. Those who are against them will take any opportunity to lash out against them.

I don’t have a strong view on them and am probably a net beneficiary in fact, but my parents live in central Oxford and talk about little else, despite not being remotely political. It’s all “traffic filters this”, “LTNs that” and “have you seen how far the queue outside our house goes back now?”. I smile politely but the fact is at every democratic opportunity they vote against them, and I’m sure that would include voting against a Labour mayor since they’ve generally been supported by Labour councils.

(And yes, I’m aware of the irony that the schemes were initially funded by central government which were, umm, tories. But this supports my point as they have done a better job at making it seem like a Labour thing to the point that I suspect very few people are aware; Labour councils tended to take up the funding whereas Conservative councils tended not to).

 

[SynthD]

LTNs, for instance, should be subject to local referendums

They were subject to local consultations, at varying points depending on how they came in. I’m not sure this applies to the LTNs that are several decades old.

IMO the whole Mayoral concept only adds to the erosion of local democracy in any case.

What’s the better local democracy, borough mayors?

 

[renegademaster]

They were subject to local consultations, at varying points depending on how they came in. I’m not sure this applies to the LTNs that are several decades old.

What’s the better local democracy, borough mayors?

One layer of local government, the councillors you elect, who vote for and against proposal and appoint a cabinet for executive functions.

But really the worst part of London's arrangement is the that theirs basically 5 levels of local government. You got the borough councils, some of those boroughs have mayors, some don't, then you have the greater London assembly, and then you have the Mayor of London, and ontop of that the home office takes a few responsibilities that local government takes everywhere else. Additionally the City of London has their own mayor which is mostly ceremonial and de jure limited to the square mile but acts a quite influential charity running a bunch of schools and parks in outer London.

 

[Busaholic]

They were subject to local consultations, at varying points depending on how they came in. I’m not sure this applies to the LTNs that are several decades old.

What’s the better local democracy, borough mayors?

Consultations are not referendums, the former are meaningless as they can be ignored or interpreted according to the prevailing prejudices of the decision makers. Mayors should be confined to the City of London, the tourist industry and Dick Whittington pantomimes with Christopher Biggins. I blame Blair trying to give Prescott something to do with the whole discredited process. Almost as bad a policy as those wretched PFIs.

 

[deltic]

Consultations are not referendums, the former are meaningless as they can be ignored or interpreted according to the prevailing prejudices of the decision makers. Mayors should be confined to the City of London, the tourist industry and Dick Whittington pantomimes with Christopher Biggins. I blame Blair trying to give Prescott something to do with the whole discredited process. Almost as bad a policy as those wretched PFIs.

What's wrong with Mayors - I bet few people can name the leader of their local council but the majority will know who their elected mayor is. Thereby raises local accountability.

 

[SynthD]

Consultations are not referendums, the former are meaningless as they can be ignored or interpreted according to the prevailing prejudices of the decision makers.

The latter can also be interpreted as wished, as we saw in the last two national referendums.

Mayors should be confined to the City of London, the tourist industry and Dick Whittington pantomimes with Christopher Biggins. I blame Blair trying to give Prescott something to do with the whole discredited process.

But what makes a lower level of government the right one? How would city wide things be managed? Osbourne championed more regional mayors, it has cross party support.

 

[renegademaster]

The latter can also be interpreted as wished, as we saw in the last two national referendums.

But what makes a lower level of government the right one? How would city wide things be managed? Osbourne championed more regional mayors, it has cross party

The problem is the lower level government still exists to step on the mayors feet and Visa versa , and when the council doesn't match then political alignment of the mayor then the blame game starts

 

[OLJR]

Vote Count Binface for sane & sensible policies, including:

* Thames Water bosses required to swim in the Thames
* London Bridge renamed Phoebe Waller
* and more...

 

[ScottGallagher]

Sadiq Khan knows full well that the Mayoralty is his as long as he wants it, and behaves accordingly. There's no effective opposition to speak of and not likely to be any time soon.

 

[DarloRich]

Sadiq Khan knows full well that the Mayoralty is his as long as he wants it, and behaves accordingly. There's no effective opposition to speak of and not likely to be any time soon.

Who is to blame? The Tories keep putting up plant pots with no chance.

 

[birchesgreen]

Yes you can only beat whats put up against you. You'd think London mayor would be a top prize which would attract top talent to want to fight for it but no. Its curious.

 

[deltic]

Sadiq Khan knows full well that the Mayoralty is his as long as he wants it, and behaves accordingly. There's no effective opposition to speak of and not likely to be any time soon.

Who is to blame? The Tories keep putting up plant pots with no chance.

Agreed - Shaun Bailey a total unknown was only 5 percentage points behind Sadiq Kahn in the first round last time round - if the Tories had put up a better known candidate it is not inconceivable they could have won especially as we have moved back to first past the post voting. Susan Hall has accidentally ended up being the Tory candidate - although not sure Paul Scully if selected would have had much more name recognition.

 

[DarloRich]

Agreed - Shaun Bailey a total unknown was only 5 percentage points behind Sadiq Kahn in the first round last time round - if the Tories had put up a better known candidate it is not inconceivable they could have won especially as we have moved back to first past the post voting. Susan Hall has accidentally ended up being the Tory candidate - although not sure Paul Scully if selected would have had much more name recognition.

it is London - they need a real heavyweight. Sadly they don't have any!

 

[deltic]

Has any candidate, apart from Count Binface, published their manifestos yet? There seem to be various announcements but not seen all their policies set out anywhere. There are a number of unclear statements about Sadiq Kahn wanting to set up a publically owned bus company but its not clear if this is an operator of last resort like the old East Thames buses or something else.

 

[sprunt]

But really the worst part of London's arrangement is the that theirs basically 5 levels of local government. You got the borough councils, some of those boroughs have mayors, some don't, then you have the greater London assembly, and then you have the Mayor of London,

The mayor of London and the GLA are one level of government, as are borough mayors and that borough's council - you are double counting here.

Has any candidate, apart from Count Binface, published their manifestos yet?

I don't know about London, but I imagine the timetable is similar to Greater Manchester where I've received in the post today the booklet about the mayoral election which has a couple of pages for each candidate to push their case. Would you believe that they're all in favour of good things and opposed to bad things? And the Tory promises that "Every borough will get a Metrolink" which sounds nice, but I think it's probably better to have the one Metrolink joining up the boroughs.

 

[renegademaster]

as are borough mayors and that borough's

Except they can contradict each other. The mayor may have some initiative he promised in the election , but since the full council controls the budget they can veto it by not giving it any funding. Planning and some other functions are run by the council members too. Croydon has got a Tory mayor but a narrow left wing majority of councillors

 

[sprunt]

Except they can contradict each other. The mayor may have some initiative he promised in the election , but since the full council controls the budget they can veto it by not giving it any funding. Planning and some other functions are run by the council members too. Croydon has got a Tory mayor but a narrow left wing majority of councillors

That still doesn't make it a separate level of government, just different branches (executive and legislative) of the same government. It's a feature of the system, not a bug - it's exactly the same as a prime minister saying "I'm going to do this thing" and Parliament saying "No you aren't".

 

[renegademaster]

It's a feature of the system

I know but that doesn't mean it's a good system. I generally prefer parliamentary systems where the executive has to have the support of legislature , and gets dismissed and replaced if they don't. The marketing for Mayors and Presidental systems is that they are more democratic but making deadlock easier isn't democratic

 

[YorkRailFan]

Labour have called on the Director of Public Prosecutions to investigate false claims made by the Conservative Mayoral candidate Susan Hall.

They say the candidate's twitter account made attempts to "hoodwink" voters with fake driving penalty charges ahead of the London Mayoral election.

https://twitter.com/PoliticsJOE_UK/status/1780189107626328180?t=02r9WM0Grm08IEtujp13bg&s=19

This references to tweets on Hall's account using photosphopped "Pay Per Mile" Signs which Khan has said he won't introduce.

 

[Thirteen]

Has any candidate, apart from Count Binface, published their manifestos yet? There seem to be various announcements but not seen all their policies set out anywhere. There are a number of unclear statements about Sadiq Kahn wanting to set up a publically owned bus company but its not clear if this is an operator of last resort like the old East Thames buses or something else.

Zoe Garbett of the Green Party published her manifesto and Rob Blackie published his manifesto today, I'm expecting both Sadiq Khan and Susan Hall to be publish their manifestos fairly soon.

Susan Hall has promised to extend the Night Tube to the H&C and looking into whether it's feasible to extend to the District, Circle and Metropolitan.

Watched the ITV London debate and was impressed by both the Lib Dems and Green candidates but neither have a chance of winning.

 

[Busaholic]

Osbourne championed more regional mayors, it has cross party support.

That damns the idea even more!