Tonight:
9°c
Boris still has 10-point lead in race for City Hall
Pippa Crerar, Political Correspondent31.03.08
Boris Johnson has maintained a significant lead over Ken Livingstone in the race to be mayor, an Evening Standard poll in association with ITV London Tonight reveals today.
The latest YouGov survey puts the Tory candidate 10 points ahead, suggesting many Londoners continue to feel it is time for change.
It comes as David Cameron joined his candidate on the campaign trail for the first time today. The Tory leader hailed Mr Johnson as a "proper Conservative" with a practical mind as he attacked Mr Livingstone for "arrogance".
He said of the Mayor: "There appears to be very little focus at City Hall on the issues that really matter to London.
"He's completely lost touch with the people who once supported him. He's now effectively the Labour government's representative in London and you get the same arrogance and intolerance of criticism you associate with Gordon Brown."
Mr Cameron added that Mr Johnson had a "properly thought through" plan for the capital despite claims from the Mayor's campaign. The pair reiterated Mr Johnson's focus on cutting violent crime with Mr Cameron saying fear of attack was the biggest factor undermining quality of life in the capital.
Despite an overall 25 per cent drop in crime over the past five years, Mr Johnson said: "If you talk to people about their real experiences and look at the reality of what's happening in London it would be irresponsible not to take a stand."
Gordon Brown has also publicly endorsed Mr Livingstone but there have been reports the Prime Minister does not think victory is likely. However, Mr Johnson's lead has narrowed slightly, a sign that Mr Livingstone's relentless focus on the Tory's competence is beginning to have an impact.
The YouGov poll for the Standard has Mr Johnson two points down from a fortnight ago on 47 per cent, the Mayor remaining static on 37 per cent, Lib-Dem Brian Paddick on 10 per cent and Green Si‚n Berry on two per cent.
After allocating second preference votes, the Tory candidate leads the Mayor on 56 per cent to 44 per cent. Mr Livingstone has regained some momentum with plans for the environment and housing after allegations of corruption and cronyism.
Mr Johnson has also been pursuing his "below the radar" campaign in outer London where he stands his best chance of maximising the Tory vote.
The survey comes before an Evening Standard debate tonight where the main candidates will come face to face on the key issues of the campaign.
YouGov questioned a representative sample of 1,051 Londoners online between 20 and 25 March. A total of 17 per cent said they did know who to support, the same as in the last poll, suggesting there was still all to play for.
Mr Livingstone's vote, according to YouGov, has fallen from 44 per cent in January to 39 per cent in February and has remained static at 37 per cent since.
Mr Johnson's lead has crept up from 40 per cent to 44 per cent then 49 per cent, dropping to 47 per cent today, while Mr Paddick went up from eight to 12 per cent but is now down to 10 per cent.
In response to the findings, a spokeswoman for Mr Johnson said: "The only poll that matters is 1 May." The Tory candidate has also refused to reveal his senior team if he is elected but hinted he would recruit senior corporate figures. A spokeswoman for the Livingstone campaign admitted for the first time it would be "close" but claimed YouGov's findings were "wrong".
She argued the Mayor polled stronger in polls that do not use YouGov'smethod.
• Home Secretary Jacqui Smith was today accused by Mr Johnson of "propaganda" for Ken Livingstone. Government newspaper adverts today promote "community policing", a central policy of the Mayor. Whitehall rules ban publicity that appears to promote one political party during an election.
Reader views (12)
Time for Ken to go and call an end to the social engineering at City Hall and corruption. Good riddance!
- Charles Mcdowell, London
'House sellers forced to slash asking price' runs your headline - and the article illustrates the point with several instances of people having to reduce their asking price significantly.
So how come when you come to the good ol' borough breakdown, it completely contradicts the headline :-
Region March 07 March 08 Price change over last month
Sutton 225200 229300 0.0%
I live in a road in said borough where ave 2007 prices of existing properties were circa £500k but are now down 20% or so at £420k...with NOTHING moving this year.
I think you should check the outfit supplying you with these figures!
or if they include new properties where the developer is not going to drop until absolutely forced to!
Then show separately
- Mike Matthews, Sutton, London, UK
May we actually be on the verge of being free of Red Ken and his cronies? There really is a Santa Claus, Virginia.
- Rm, London, UK
Boris Johnson has a 'properly thought through plane for the capital'. Could he share this with us as for months he's come up with gimmicks, one liners and no brainers.
- Harold, London, England
Before they vote for Johnson, Londoners need to consider carefully what he is. He's as right-wing as Ken is left, has made public racist remarks, shown very little interest in London until recently, didn't turn up for the Crossrail vote, is against the Kyoto treaty and has written articles rubbishing climate change. I could go on.
Livingstone is far from perfect, but he has done much to raise London's profile over the past few years, improved the bus service, introduced the congestion charge in the face of opposition that would any lesser politician would have caved into right from the start and bludgeoned more money out of the Treasury than any less wiley politician could ever hope to achieve. And all this in the face of a fanatically hostile London evening press. Does he really deserve to slung out on a protest vote and London left to a right-wing clown who will at best will just leave London to flounder and at worst make it a laughing stock around the world?
- Bill, London
Boris,David Cameron and William Hague should each have a blue rinse, arrange a news conference and slam home a few home truths about what Boris can do for the capital and the Conservative Party for the country.
And get Ken Clarke back on board, too. Just in case anyone misses the other Ken!
- Peter Seekings-Foster, Muildenhall, Suffolk
David Cameron sacked Boris Johnson from his cabinet. Do Londoners really want a failed Tory politician to head London? Boris was the last in a string of Tory no-hoper candidates and Cameron only supported him when the polls looked favourable. Ken Livingston played a huge part in bringing the Olympics to London, bringing greater investment to the City, improving public transport, cutting crime, increasing police numbers, increasing affordable housing (which the Tories are against)and much more. One of the first things Margaret Thatcher did when she was elected was to get rid of the GLC, because the Tories under Horace Cutler the Tory GLC Leader had been defeated. Londoners wouldn't have an elected mayor if Labour hadn't created the system in 1998. The Tories voted against. Don't let the Johnny Come Lately Tories wreck London again.
- Val Daniels, Mijas Costa Spain
David Cameron hails BJ as a "proper Conservative". Is this not the same Boris that was sacked by his predecessor for allegedly lying to his leader about cheating on his wife and four children over a four-year period?
When, exactly, did this a cheat become a "Proper Conservative"?
- Lou, London
Pipa, you say "Despite an overall 25 per cent drop in crime over the past five years ... ", we are interested as to where you obtained your figure from.
Crime is now calculated differently to 5 years ago, so is extremely difficult to make a comparison. However, if you analyse the new sets of crime figures, you will see that crime has risen sharply in many areas (eg., especially violent crime and gun crime).
- Alex, Buenos Aires, Arg.
Boris is right to use the word "arrogant" to describe Ken. But has he noticed also that he is looking sullen and weary? Time for Livingstone to fade away, surely.
- Frances F, London
This latest poll result is great news. But Londoners, please, please ensure it is replicated on May 1. Keep Livingstone and his cronies out of power!
- Rachel P, London
The stated "margin of error" on these polls is 3% and in reality it is nearer 5%. So a 2% change in Boris's support is meaningless.
- Nbeale, London
