The Big Smoke

oh and the fucking olymics

ken lost because he hated white people, made the congestion charge, and ruined the housing market.

Ultimately both candidates were extremely poor. Ken has managed to win the hearts of many through his rhetoric and has done many good things for London too. However, he allowed high level corruption to occur on his watch and surrounded himself with some highly questionable people in both morals and ability. Boris is unproven and his character will rile as many as it endears. However, his class background should not be a platform for critism just as an individual from the other end of the spectrum should not be judged on anything other than the content of their character and their ability to do the job.
We will see Boris' ability and until then we should reserve judgement.
Can anyone tell me why we need the mayoral race to be linked to politcal parties at all??? And given our perception, rightly or wrongly, of the greatness of our city, why are the choice of candidates so poor?

It's interesting how quickly myths can materialise. Antonia Davies on this site doubtless thinks quite genuinely that 2 million people voted for Boris when in truth it was just 1,043,761. Many people think that Ken Livingstone's campaign was run by an Islamic Extremist , but that was just one of many fantasies created by the Evening Standard on posters outside newsagents throughout London. Do I feel cheated - yes I do , but deep down I can't understand why Ken fought such a lack-lustre campaign when he knew that he was really up against Linton Crosby with his formidable reputation for winning elections.

Agree with most of these posts but I'm slightly more optimistic... Boris is now the example of the new conservative party in office. If he is as disastrous as we all expect him to be then this may not bode so well for his Etonian chum Cameron come 2010.

-Piccaninnies
-Watermelon Smiles
-Comparing gay marriage to beastiality
in spite of which1.2million londoners voted for him, and put the BNP on the assembly...
Boris isn't a fool, he's extremely clever, which makes what he's said all the more worrying.
I hate to be a pessimist, especially where London is concerned, but I can't see how this bodes well for London.

funny i hate celeb culture and still voted for Boris despite a whole load of reservations about him personally and his competence. Face facts. Kens coterie had their hands in the till big time. You can blame it on the Standard if you like but anyone behaving at my office llike that would have been fired on the spot. Kens failure to tackle this and his use of the race card against anyone who stood up to him said he had been around to long.

did no-one see what an idiot he was on "have i got news for you" the guy cant even host a tv show with the script written for him - how the F*** is he supposed to be able to actually be a mayor for crying out loud - everyone that voted for him will be to blame when it all goes wrong - bloody SHEEP everylast one of you that voted for him
PS: the guy is a TORY - does that not ring alarm bells????? He probably idolises the thatcher witch - I agree with a previous blogger - there is NO WAY he will make it to 4 years... Ill bet on that too.

This man can never be the face of London.

I'm going to place £100 that he will not be here in 4 years.
The man is a clown and a fraud and his true colours will come out sooner rather than later and he'll say something so offensive he'll have to resign.
Mark My Words.

he is alright, almost 2m voters thought so or didn't they?

whatever he does we can be sure it will be entertaining, the perfect candidate for the press now we are in the age of the celebrity who gives a dam about politics, almost 2m voters didn't!

helping small business's like the one in Brixton?
anyone can do a better job then Ken.
God Save the Queen!!

Everybody seems to have forgotten all the good things ken brought to the capital. I agree a fresh face is good but I hate the insults that have flown kens way. Its really so small minded and is typical.He doesnt deserve it and i wish him all the best for the future. Boris is not the right fresh face for our city leading up to the olympic games and time will prove it.

I don't think that anything worse could have happened to politics, except for the time when Bush beat Gore at the presidential election. Everyone who has seen 'An Inconvenient Truth' will agree with this, as the world would be a better place if Gore was president. He is a seriously intelligent man with a good knowledge of what needs to be changed in this world. But things couldnn't be further from the truth with Boris. I know he's not PM or anything, but seriously - this guy has about as much of a grasp on 'real life' as a new born baby. There couldn't be a better reason to move-out of London now. How can a man who can't even look intelligent in front of Ian Hislop and Paul Merton run the capital? I'm glad I live on the south coast!