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Just how bad is Ken Livingstone? We should reflect on this before we risk making Boris Johnson Mayor of the most incredible city on earth.
During Monday's televised debate, Ken was calm and assured as he outlined his achievements while Boris blustered about "new ideas" and "fresh thinking". Boris didn't look like a leader as he struggled to define what his vision for London actually is.
Light on policy, Boris's boring, low-key campaign has been marked by his new gaffe-preventing reserve and his insistence that he's great at delegating, ie hiring better people to do the job for him. You wouldn't hire someone to run a kebab stall on such a premise. His greatest achievements so far are being selected as an MP for Henley-on-Thames and editing a Tory fanzine. Supporters say he deserves a chance despite being "unproven". The truth is, he's a thoroughly proven Right-wing provincial mediocrity.
Ken's an egomaniac who has played divisive politics with race, cosied up to property developers and handed out grants without scrutiny. But Boris has used race to court notoriety too, and as a lifelong Thatcherite will suck up to big business even more. Given that his supporters say his attention to detail is slack, why should he be trusted to keep tabs on public money? He shares Ken's worst traits while holding a flimsier CV.
For all Ken has done wrong, he's also done some things right. Would bumbling Boris and his illconsidered rhetoric on race have helped win us the Olympics? Would he have helped to calm London and keep it united after 7/7? In both cases, the answer is: no. In a crisis, Boris is the last man I want in charge.
Unlike Boris, Ken doesn't pretend to be anyone but himself. He was campaigning for gays, women, ethnic minorities and the poor when Boris was throwing himself into a Tory party that treated them with contempt. I dislike how Ken plays politics with people's identities but I trust where his heart is. Boris's proclaimed multiculturalism and desire to be a "human bridge" between rich and poor sound hollow to me. He showed no interest in London and its people until he decided to run for Mayor.
Congestion, extortionate housing and the fear of crime make life in London frustrating. But London still works and is the only place I want to call home. Yes, Ken could have done better, but I say don't give Boris the chance to make things a whole lot worse.
Reader views (9)
Nirpal Dhaliwal's column is an unintended example of damning with faint praise. The phraseology and carefully selected accolades would lead an analytical reader to conclude that Ken Livingstone does not have a record which should leave the voter in any doubt about his suitability. Rather, the case made is that the only other likely winner of the contest is not up to the job.
Well, for my money (and that is literally true in this case) a claim that the present incumbent 'has done a few things right' is totally insufficient. I am sure that if Nirpal Dhaliwal was given £10bn per annum with which to do good works he would eventually warrant a similar plaudit.
And the only 'proven' attribute of Ken Livingstone is an unlimited and uncaring capacity to sacrifice everything and everyone to his own, personal objectives. Presumably the small shop-keepers on the edges of the Congestion Zone are merely collateral damage; it happens in conflict - tough.
No, it really doesn't wash. 'For all his faults' he should go - it really is that simple. One can trawl through history and find many a success story where the subject was initially unproven. We all were at least once. Let us have a Mayor who has heart, soul, humour, a determination to work with - not dictate to - everyone and genuine transparency.
And a little British eccentricity won't go amiss or do any harm. Let Boris Johnson bring some life and light into a Mayoralty which Ken Livingstone has smothered.
- Alan Wenman, Ruislip, UK
Ken has never had a proper job. Boris has never had a proper job. Ken is a tired old man who steals other people's ideas and calls them his own. Boris can tell good jokes and is too dumb to steal other people's ideas. No contest really. Boris is Best.
- John, Dundee, UK
Sounds like words of wisdom in this article. A very sobering note to anyone who thinks that electing Boris as Mayor would not have a lasting damaging effect and potentially put the future of the city in peril. For all you wavering voters and second preference bods, looks like until the Tories get a candidate that isn't a liability then it will have to be Ken.
- Colin, Hounslow, uk
If Ken is "Our Man in a Crisis", we all remain in the depths of ordure created by this villain since the first minute he took office. Where's your brain Nirpal Dhaliwal "Crisis Livingstone" has done for London what Mellors did for Lady Chatterley. Just take a walk and look around, then hang up your pen. What sort of journalist can blithely apply the forgiving phrase "for all his faults" to such a permanent-damage merchant. I suppose, push comes to shove, Ken can always call on Abu Hamzah. He's another man in a crisis. We can all give him a big hand.
- Mike Em, London U.K
This article is very speculative. Most Londoners won't thank Ken for swelling our council tax bills for his Olympic vanity project.
The only thing that Ken can be trusted to do is to look after his own interests.
- Magnus Frater, London
Ken has played politics with race all his life- using public money to divide us instead of uniting us. In this campaign Muslims4Ken have said that Boris wants to ban the Koran- a complete and utter lie. You talk of Boris' "ill-considered rhetoric on race"- Open your eyes to what Ken has been doing for the last 8 years.
- Tom Black, Enfield, England
For all Ken's faults I get the impression many people considering Tim-Nice-But-Dim haven't considered what a laughing stock London would be with him in charge.
What does the budding George Dubya actually know about London - he seemed to become interested in the city the moment cash and power was waved in his face.
What are his policies? I mean specific things he will bring in, not meaningless vague statements.
Some people might want change but do they consider things could be a whole lot worse? If Tim-Nice-But-Dim is elected I see the (very English trait of) whingeing and complaining will be there after the party - only this time it will be louder.
- Jj, Hammersmith
Hail Ken. You must be on the payroll. One would almost imagine London did not exist before the arrival of Ken as opposed to having been around for 2000 years. The strength and power of London has everything to do with its history and more specifically Thatcherite (Don't you hate it!) Big Bang in 1986 which allowed London to become the world's financial centre. What is this crap about Ken holding London together after 7/7 as though London would have fallen apart. Go to your history books and you might learn that London has faced down far greater threats before...without Ken. This is just the kind of ill informed schoolboy analysis which allows spin doctors (like the army Ken employs at our expense) to succeed. London is dangerous and dirty with a overloaded and extortionate transport system, lunatic house prices and council tax which has doubled under Ken. This is the real legacy of Ken and you want more of it! More crime, more cronyism, more corruption, more waste basically you want more Labour. God help us!
- Hail Mighty Ken, London
"Supporters say he deserves a chance despite being "unproven"."
I want a leader who is on his way up, not on his way down.
"Light on policy, Boris's boring, low-key campaign"
I'd rather have a few good policies than a lot of essentially unimportant ones, and let's not forget how many Livingstone has "adopted" (stolen) for his own campaign. As for boring, Boris is never boring, even when he's trying his best to be.
"Ken doesn't pretend to be anyone but himself"
Are you talking about the same guy who, for 8 yrs, has divided London up and claimed to be the best mates of everyone, eg hugging a homophobing preacher and then hugging London's homosexuals.
"I dislike how Ken plays politics with people's identities but I trust where his heart is"
Trust is a good thing, but give it to the wrong person and it will be you who gets hurt, not them.
"He showed no interest in London"
Hasn't he lived and raised a family in Islington? Yes, is the answer.
- St, London
