Mayoral election comes down to trust

A closer scrutiny of voter opinion reveals this contest is about trust as much as transport, crime and jobs. Mr Livingstone leads his rival on three out of four critical issues. But remarkably, fewer than half of those surveyed, 44 per cent, believe that Ken Livingstone would deliver on his campaign promises. In other words, Mr Livingstone's pledges are attractive but his credibility is suspect, notably among the young. That's a big obstacle.

Mr Livingstone's most striking commitment is to reducing, then freezing, fares. And seven out of 10 Londoners support his pledge to cut bus fares including half of Boris Johnson's supporters. But he will have to spell out in detail how this would be done. Boris Johnson maintains this is a short-term bribe which would take money from investment and maintenance of the Tube. Indeed, many passengers today will have been infuriated by breakdowns on the Bakerloo, Jubilee and Metropolitan lines; upgrading the Tube matters.

On crime, Mr Johnson has a narrow lead. Here he has a solid case; the murder rate in London is down by a quarter in four years; crime overall has fallen 10 per cent. This is good going in a economic downturn.

Inevitably, the closeness of this fight means other candidates are pushed to the margins, but it makes for a striking clash of heavyweights. London is fortunate in having two charismatic men vying for the top job at a time when national politics seems to attract dispiritingly homogenous types. Yet this is a contest about which candidate most deserves voters' trust. That's what really matters.

Heathrow must grow

It is time for the expansion of Heathrow to be treated as seriously as it deserves: it runs at near-full capacity and this is a problem for the British economy. Colin Matthews, chief executive of Heathrow's owner, BAA, has warned that global business leaders are being deterred from investing in the UK because of insufficient direct flights to countries such as China and Brazil. And, indeed, traffic to China fell year on year by 0.7 per cent from Heathrow in January while it rose nine per cent in Paris and Frankfurt.

Both main parties are refusing to contemplate a third runway at Heathrow, but they must acknowledge reality. Heathrow can gain extra leeway by extending its mixed-mode operations, using runways for landings and takeoffs, but that is not a long-term solution. Alternatives such as a Thames Estuary airport would take decades. High-speed rail does not help with flights to Beijing. A third runway is an option that cannot any longer be regarded as off-limits; it must be sensibly debated.

True philanthropy

These are hard times for charities. It is a good time, then, for the Give More campaign, launched today by Trevor Pears, which encourages us to donate more of our time and money to the needy. He leads by example. His family's Pears Foundation has given £30 million to charity in five years, a great achievement. But this is an initiative for the less-well-off as much as the rich. We all have something to give.