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Mayor admits that Johnson could win
Paul Waugh, Deputy Political Editor24.04.08
Ken Livingstone has talked for the first time about the prospect of losing to Boris Johnson.
He even advised his Tory rival to oversee a "graduated transition" should Mr Johnson win the mayoralty.
Mr Livingstone, who was launching his overall manifesto today, spoke frankly about a possible defeat and the reality of life after City Hall.
The Mayor would immediately begin work on his autobiography.
He said he was trying to focus on winning but admitted that if he lost he could take up Mr Johnson's afterdinner speaking engagements.
Mr Livingstone revealed what he would be doing following any defeat on 1 May: "If I don't win, come 6 May I will be taking the kids to school and starting a book on my last eight years as Mayor."
Previously, he had consistently refused to comment on what he might do if defeated, but he dropped his guard yesterday on the campaign trail in Lewisham, even providing some hints on how a new mayor should behave.
"My advice would be don't rush to make rapid change, try to take your time to talk to people and listen, and actually organise a more graduated transition," said Mr Livingstone.
"Because someone who comes [in] with 'slash and burn' might then find after six months that was a big mistake. So I'd take your time.
"Boris, because he has never been a council committee chairman or chair of a local authority, or involved in any other local government, would still have a lot to learn even after the election. I was lucky I had 30 years' experience in local government before I got in. He shouldn't rush."
He added: "If I lost there would be a vacancy on the after-dinner speaking circuit so we would really just be swapping jobs."
No publishing deal has been negotiated yet for his autobiography.
Although those close to the Mayor believe he is just ahead or neck and neck in the polls, there are major fears among Labour activists about getting their supporters out to vote.
The Evening Standard's YouGov polling suggests Mr Johnson has maintained his lead and is set to win next week. Critics will suspect that talk about losing is a ploy by Mr Livingstone to galvanise Labour supporters into voting for him.
At his manifesto launch today in Wood Green, the Mayor unveiled his complete policies on transport, crime, housing and other issues.
He emphasised the winning of the Olympics and the 7/7 terror attacks the following day as the reason he should be re-elected.
Mr Livingstone was joined by George Psaradakis, the driver of the No 31 bus bombed in Tavistock Square, who said: "There are some moments in your life you never forget-The terrorist attack of 7 July, when the bus I was driving was bombed, was one of those moments.
"Ken Livingstone gave London the leadership our city needed that day. He united London when it faced its greatest threat."
The Mayor stressed he had not given up in the race. "People say he's tired, he's old, he's been around too long. But I feel we are only just beginning."
He said the successful Olympic bid was down to "three years of detailed planning", and that the calm response to the terror attacks was another example of careful planning.
Reader views (26)
Time to leave Kenneth, and remember close the door of The All-Seeing Eye on the way out. Am sick to death with your bendy buses, back-handers etc. Go back to that Marxist hole you crawled out from.
- Will, Shepherd's Bush, W. London
Unfortunately Boris isn't my local MP but he is the local MP for the nearest town. I am working class background and a natural labour voter. I have never voted Tory in my life however I would vote for Boris everytime. The media portrays him in a way that will help sell papers. He is a hard-working MP that does a lot of work that is not visible outside of his constituency.
- Pat, Wargrave
He said the successful Olympic bid was down to "three years of detailed planning" really? Were there any numbers involved in this careful planning? As the budget seems to have been done on the back of an envelope. Typical example of Ken trying desperately to find something he's actually done.
- Mark, London
It is quite clear that no-one really wants Ken to stay it is only a matter of whether he is worse than the two very odd alternatives. The fact that the completely woeful Paddick might get 20% of votes shows you how bad the choices really are.
My view is let's have a term of Boris which at least gives us a change and a few laughs, and then get some decent candidates next time.
PS I seem to remember Seb Coe and Tony Blair having more to do with winning the Olympics than Ken.
- Paul, Haringey, London
Don’t vote for Ken!
He is a Judas to the English working class.
- Chris Hatchard, London E12
As a 5th generation Londoner (and my son is 6th!) - I sincerely believe that Ken will win! And so will Balvinder Saund in Redbridge & Havering!
The opinion polls are wrong!
- Linda, London
Livingstone has gone a long way towards destroying London and the important thing is that the voters know it.
- Terry Justice, Chadwell Heath U.K.
I have voted for Boris already by way of my postal vote and I urge everyone to vote for him. He is the only person who can unseat the very unsatisfactory Livingstone.
- Bill, London
Of course Boris can win. London has become a depressing place under the Red Ken and very expensive. At the same time police, transport, cleaning levels have dropped. Red Ken was too busy travelling to Venezuela, Cuba and India.
- Jacqueline, Hampstead, London
Jean of Havering: of course there were a lot of people helping London's Olympic bid (I was one of them), but Ken Livingstone put in the time, and offered the authority, to make the bid a winner. He made a difference.
- Richard, Stockwell
Barry Smith of London - I and many that I know, was not aware that Ken, single handedly, brought the Olympics to London. Are other members of the team that worked for the London bid aware that they took a very insignificant part in the process and that outcome was all down to Ken? I am certainly aware that he, with his aides i.e. Jasper, have brought much sleaze to the mayoral office and conduct their duties with total arrogance and little regard for the wishes of many of the people of our capital city. Their attitude is one of 'I'm alright Jack'
And Victor, more of what we have put up with in the past eight years - that is what you can call a disaster!
- Jean, Havering
I do hope Ken does win and I do hope the labour party win the next election because if the Tories win we are stuck with an eton oligarchy too dreadful to contemplate!
Look what happened the last time the Tories were in power. I would not send them for a loaf of bread far less run the country.
Ken has the experience, maturity, and wisdom to run London effectively.
The problem is the Libdems like to get in there mucking the whole thing up making promises they cannot possibly keep and they could let Boris in by default.
Please for goodness sake people do not vote Libdem or Tory.
London can be a right cesspit but would be much worse with anyone other than Ken in charge.
So let's be sensible and vote for ken and not totally deranged with the other two!
- Fiona Harvey, London
I don't want a mayor that show-boats with an Islamic extremist that believes suicide bombers and the execution of homosexuals are acceptable.
I was certainly duped by Ken's veneer in 2004,underneath is a very unpleasant personality, Paddick can't win so Boris here I come.
- John Zims, London
Hard as he tries he cannot escape the fact that he is going come 6th May. Lest we forget he was never wanted as Mayor by the majority of Londoners or even the Labour Party (look how rally they to his aid now?)he merely won by default as no one bothered to vote, yet he acts like he has the full support of Londoners bulldozing his congestion charge in the western extension. Ripping off council tax payers increasing the Mayor element by 150% channelling money via Lee Jasper. He is an out of control Wineo with a vendetta against the car (as he could never pass his test) with deep veins in communism! Time to go.
- Richard, London
One of Boris Johnson's key points for improving London is banning alcohol on the tube... haha do me a favour! As a Londoner who uses the tube everyday - this isn't even a slight worry! When I use the tube on Fri & Sat nights there are drunk people on it from nights out regardless (from drinking in the pub not on the tube!) Boris is all spin! Stupid, out of touch, pointless ideas. I'd rather Harry Hill got the job, at least he's actually funny.
- Erica, Camden, Camden, London
Susan - I'm afraid you're going to be deeply disappointed, because the prospect of a joker like Boris as Mayor is far more frightening to most Londoners than re-electing Ken.
- Nick, Battersea
Frankly I'd prefer just about any serious Conservative candidate other than Boris "the clown" Johnson over Mr. Livingstone. If I had a solid guarantee that Mr. Johnson would be tied up and gagged for the duration of his term I would certainly vote for him.
However ... since the choice happens to be between Mr. Jonson and Mr. Livingstone my vote goes to Mr. Livingstone. He knows what he's doing, even if you don't agree with him, and that's a lot more than one can say of Mr. Johnson. Better the devil you know than an un-guided missile.
- Golodh, London, UK
I'm really sorry, but Boris is a pillock with exactly no political talent at all. He will do nothing substantial for London and he'll be spending your tax money swanning about making amusing gaffes which will soon start to grate. If you can't stand Ken Livingstone, then vote for Brian Paddick who at least has had a proper job, policies and knows what he's talking about, if you are right wing then vote for ukip or the barmy bnp, at least they have a manifesto. Can you tell me what Boris' manifesto is? The very idea that people are seriously thinking of voting for Johnson implies to me that they are just too lazy to think about what they want and are only going to use their vote as a protest. that is not democracy that's just churlish. Grow up.
- Nu, London
Ok, I live in an affluent naturally Conservative area but I voted for Ken in 2004. I was lead to believe that he would improve all of London but all he seams to do is blurt out anti semitic insults and befreind anti capitalist dictators in South America.
I really don't want a Leader (because thats what the Mayor of London is) who has to steal the oppositions policies and has gone from a conviction to a reaction politician on the important things (Crime, Sleaze, Transport) and from reaction to conviction politician on things that the general public really don't want him to do (Kens anti Semitism, meeting anti democratic Islamic clerics, and shooting the breeze South American Dictators)
Boris like David Cameron are now reading from the same page as me, they recognise that Labour is now a part of cloak and daggers, miss spending our hard earned money on was and pipe dream instead of reducing the tax burden and letting us strive forwards towards greatness although they would much rather everyone be equally mediocre.
It is high time we as Londoners send them a message they will never ever forget.
- Nick, Hampstead Garden Suburb
It won't happen. Ken will win and win well, people can see through Boris' poor attempt at a façade to the boorish, incompetent baffon he is. A win for Ken is the best outcome for all Londoners.
- Jenny, Pinner
Ken's "graduated transition" is to give him ad his cronies time to get to the shredding machines to get rid of all the evidence of squandered funds over the past eight years.
- Robin, London
Let's hope Boris has the character to quit after 2-terms. This should be the limit on a mayor or a PM.
- Frederick, London
If Boris wins, I will seriously consider moving from London.
It will be a disaster.
- Victor, London
If Mr Livingstone is looking for a title for his autobiography I can confirm that "How to lose friends and alienate people" is already taken.
- Jimbob, Kensington
How can you vote out someone who brought the Olympics and massive public transport regeneration to London?
- Barry L Smith, London
Good. About time he faced facts. For outer boroughs like Harrow it is essential that Ken is voted out - he has done absolutely nothing for us, except raise our council taxes to waste at City Hall. Fingers crossed Boris will win next week.
- Susan, Harrow, London
