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Mayor race: Livingstone and Boris too close to call
Ross Lydall, City Hall Editor02.01.08
Boris Johnson is running neck and neck with Ken Livingstone in the race to be Mayor, a poll reveals.
The most detailed survey yet puts Mr Livingstone just one point ahead of his Tory challenger in spite of sustained attacks on the latter's character.
A YouGov poll for ITV's London Tonight puts the Mayor on 45 per cent, Mr Johnson on 44 per cent and Lib-Dem candidate Brian Paddick trailing badly on seven per cent.
The figures, based on a sample of 995 Londoners, excluded respondents who did not know who they would back or who said they would not vote at all in the 1May poll.
Mr Livingstone has repeatedly sought to portray Mr Johnson as a racist by citing his use of the terms "piccaninnies" and "watermelon smiles" to refer to black Africans.
Earlier this week Mr Paddick suggested Mr Johnson would be unable to behave himself throughout the four years of a mayoral term, warning that Londoners must not elect a "clown".
Today Mr Johnson declined to comment specifically on the poll but was understood to be excited that "it's all to play for" and Londoners had a real choice for Mayor - which should lead to a higher than normal turnout.
Mr Livingstone's camp said the Mayor's true support would be seen at the ballot box. They made another attack on Mr Johnson, saying his decision to provide a character reference for convicted fraudster and newspaper tycoon Lord Black showed he had "no credibility on law and order".
Mr Paddick shrugged off the survey results, saying: "It's still early days. Over the next few weeks and months I will be putting forward a programme of ideas to convince Londoners I am the only candidate capable of improving the capital's safety and transport network."
In terms of deciding votes, crime was the top issue, mentioned by 68 per cent of respondents. This was followed by transport (excluding congestion charging) on 63 per cent and recycling/the environment (47 per cent). The C-charge attracted 42 per cent support and 44 per cent opposition.
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Reader views (16)
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Nice to see Livingstone's 70 press officers spinning their magic.
- Robert, Grove Park
I have no idea what Tobold's "idiom of sense" refers to, but, if he had an iota of sense he would realise that there are plenty of us living in the capital who do not, and have no desire to, "embrace" its "cosmopolitan diversity" and who would love to move to Surrey could we only afford the price of a garden shed situated in its leafy environs. Preposterous suggestions from Tobold, indeed.
- Kobold, London UK
It is sad that the conservatives could not find a serious character to oppose Ken. However to suggest that he is solely to blame for thugs on buses is laughable. Please remember that your kid is not a thug and that yobs are in fact a minority. Do we really want a society where minority hoodlums effect our policies? The idea was great, so let's solve this little problem by getting someone to police some of these bus routes.
- Natalia Grant, London, UK
