Afternoon:
10°c
Ken banks on experience
Evening Standard1 May 2008
Ken Livingstone was up early today as he voted for himself near his home in Cricklewood.
On his way to the polling station, the Mayor made a final plea to the voters to reject Boris Johnson.
Wearing his trademark beige mac to keep off the showers, Mr Livingstone again claimed that his Tory rival lacked the seriousness or experience to run London and manage City Hall's annual budget of £11billion.
In what is expected to be the tightest election since mayoral elections began eight years ago, Labour strategists were worried that the weather could damage their prospects, since rain traditionally lowers turnout.
Mr Livingstone also urged Londoners to use their vote, no matter who they were supporting for Mayor, to prevent the far-Right British National Party gaining a seat on the London Assembly.
The London Labour Party said all its activists were out today and officials said that one of the "legacies" of the campaign had been to "energise" the party and the volunteers who would be working until polls closed at 10pm.
Mr Livingstone received a last-minute boost when former Liberal Democrat mayoral candidate, Simon Hughes, suggested that voters' second preferences should be given to the Mayor rather than to Mr Johnson.
