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Poll good news for Ken

8:55am Sunday 27th January 2008

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London Mayor Ken Livingstone has stretched his lead over Conservative rival Boris Johnson according to the latest opinion poll.

The YouGov/ITV London poll shows Mr Livingstone with 44 per cent of the vote, increasing his lead over Mr Johnson from 1 per cent in the last survey to 4 per cent.

The poll followed a Channel 4 Dispatches programme which criticised the mayor's record and his management of the London Development Agency.

A Livingstone campaign spokesman welcomed the poll result, saying internet polling had traditionally underestimated his support.

Liberal Democrat candidate Brian Paddick picked up 8 per cent of the vote.

The London mayoral election is due on May 1.


Your Say YourCroydon Guardian

Kenneth Elmes, says...
12:18pm Sun 27 Jan 08

A man, dedicating most of his life to London and the people of London is the right man to continue the stewardship of a Great Vibrant City. Ken Livingston, after years of neglect through ‘Thatcher’ government has started on the work of bringing London up to the 21st century. Well done Ken.

Liam, Sutton says...
2:01pm Sun 27 Jan 08

Ken Livingstone should not be re-elected as Mayor. This is the man who has presided over London while its violent crime rate has dramatically risen, he covorts with foreign tyrants at our expense, shoves his dictatorial planning decisions down our throats, taxes us to the hilt with his mayoral addition on the council tax, employs an industrial-size spin machine to make him look good, employs and protects corrupt lying advisers who abuse our money, and much much more.

Tell me and the people of Sutton why Livingstone deserves re-election when he has only visited our borough twice in 8 years, except to pass through on his way to somewhere else. What has he, or Labour for that matter, EVER done for Sutton, Cheam, Worcester Park, Carshalton, Wallington, Beddington or St. Helier? Answer: NOTHING.

He doesn't listen and he doesn't care.

Ken Livingstone must go.

marco, croydon says...
4:36pm Sun 27 Jan 08

I think this is terrible news and very worrying. Hopefully when Boris chooses some policies people will start voting for him rather than just seeing him as a TV zlist celeb wife cheating buffoon.
Ken may well implement policies that make the average londonder better off but hopefully Boris will put in place some policies that will help businesses in London make some serious money which will help us all.

Paul, Upper Norwood says...
9:02am Mon 28 Jan 08

Mayor Livingstone started ok and we do have more police than ever which is good.

What else we have is a host of failures such as the Congestion charge and free travel for children. There's plenty of other things.

We also have some 'Third World' corruption rearing its head - Rosemary Emodi. Martin Bright did a belter of a job on the Mayor too on 'Dispatches' on 21/01.

Then we have the 'If it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down campaign.

Livingstone obviously wants London to become a Third World capital.

I am not voting for Livingstone again; his socialist background and love of Marx and all things Left is now affecting London greatly and not to the general good.


Derek Wheatley, Isleworth says...
11:07am Mon 28 Jan 08

Ken Livingstone is a Londoner who cares about London unlike Johnson who will be as bad for London as Thatcher was with her abolition of the GLC.

As for the comment by another reader that the Congestion Charge is a failure, even Johnson is committed to retaining it.

I'm also intrigued by the comment from another reader that Ken Livingstone 'covorts' with foreign tyrants. What is 'covorting' and who are the foreign tyrants?

sal ibn hari, thornton heath says...
12:22pm Mon 28 Jan 08

Unfortunately Derek Ken Livingstone is also a politician and as such cares more for himself than London.

Chavez is the tyrant, apparently. But he has associated himself with doubtful Muslims too - al Qadawi for example.

What is worrying is the way in which Livingstone goes his own way of emotive matters such as free bus travel that causes so many problems.

What we need is something different, be it Paddick or Boris but hopefully not the BNP (and sad to say. they too have some decent ideas).

David, Croydon says...
4:26pm Mon 28 Jan 08

My vote is currently in the undecided box at the moment. The case for Ken certainly wasn't helped by the recent Dispatches on tv a couple of weeks ago.

In terms of party choice I really don't care about that for London, but what I do care about is picking the person with the best policies. Sadly the majority of people will pick the person who represents either their party or with the policies that affect them personally in a positive way (i.e. pensioners voting for Ken because of his plan to increase their free travel).

London has moved forward under Ken, and there is no denying that. If we could somehow recoup more of the money that we pay in taxes, rather than it being distributed to the rest of the country by central government, London could be something pretty special.

Bob, Cheam says...
2:17pm Tue 29 Jan 08

"we do have more police than ever"??? I sincerely hope you're joking or do you think that PCSO's are actually policemen rather than traffic wardens who have no more power to make an arrest than an ordinary citizen?
Ken has proven he's not capable of running London in any sort of sensible manner, our contributions to his farce go up yearly by around 15% which he spends on frivolities such as free travel for the under 16's which costs around £100 million per year, money which could be spent much more convincingly elsewhere. Ken's advisors all seem to be being investigated for various different types of fraud, corruption or misspending of public funds currently so hopefully we won't need to worry about Ken being re-elected as he'll be in jail.

timmo, sutton says...
3:48pm Tue 29 Jan 08

This is a poll based on 240 people only.
The chance of it being incorrect is massive.
Its closer on the street between the 2 than the press credit.
Ken is in trouble and he knows it.

c may, biggin hill says...
10:20pm Tue 29 Jan 08

ive worked and driven round london before and after the c charge without hesitation its much better now its ken for me

c may, biggin hill says...
10:26pm Tue 29 Jan 08

best thing to happen in london for years the c charge cleaner air and better inviornment for all well done ken

Bob Peel, Croydon says...
1:55pm Wed 30 Jan 08

Bob wrote:
"we do have more police than ever"??? I sincerely hope you're joking or do you think that PCSO's are actually policemen rather than traffic wardens who have no more power to make an arrest than an ordinary citizen?
Ken has proven he's not capable of running London in any sort of sensible manner, our contributions to his farce go up yearly by around 15% which he spends on frivolities such as free travel for the under 16's which costs around £100 million per year, money which could be spent much more convincingly elsewhere. Ken's advisors all seem to be being investigated for various different types of fraud, corruption or misspending of public funds currently so hopefully we won't need to worry about Ken being re-elected as he'll be in jail.
No, definately more police. At the start of the campaign to up the number of officers from 26,500 there were passing out parades every week for months at Hendon whilst accomodation was not sufficient and classes were held in shifts.

Now I suspect the retiring officers are not replaced.

Nationally the total number of officers remains unchanged to the cost of minor forces or those which have been assimilated elsewhere. Such a Force was the Parks Police, now in the Met.

Paul, Upper Norwood says...
10:41am Thu 31 Jan 08

Kenneth Elmes wrote:
A man, dedicating most of his life to London and the people of London is the right man to continue the stewardship of a Great Vibrant City. Ken Livingston, after years of neglect through ‘Thatcher’ government has started on the work of bringing London up to the 21st century. Well done Ken.
Obviously the ramblings of a brainwashed New Labour accolyte who is incapable of seeing the destruction of society.

I didn't agree with the disolution of the GLC but I see why Baroness Thatcher felt it necessary.

RICHY, says...
8:50pm Fri 1 Feb 08

this man openly supports terriosts..the ANC ..IRA ...ETA..and muslim clerics who hate everyone, hes a jew baiter as well and you lot want him back ??? god help ENGLAND ...

eric ray, london says...
6:10pm Sat 2 Feb 08

It would be useful if some of the opponents of Ken Livingstone would debate policies rather than heap insults. Apart from starnge statements such as Richy's about the ANC applauded by virtually every British politician, with special mention for Nelson Mandela shows just what lies Ken has had to put up with. Ken Livingstone has increased his lead because of people being pleased with London, if Boris Johnson is going to rely on mud-slinging (by others such as his chum Andrew 'false allegations' Gilligan, then he willlose and lose badly.
There is a need for serious debate about transport, policing and the environment. Londoners of all viewpoints can contribute to this debate, but comments that are abusive with no content indicate that Ken, having taken a media bombardment which has bene the most disgusting anyone will ever have experienced, is looking actually stronger.

Kes, Upper Norwood says...
1:30pm Sun 3 Feb 08

All insults aimed at Livingston are richly deserved! Unless, of course, you do not pay full council tax.
I'd like to make a suggestion- Livingstone should be made to collect his council tax separately from my local council's so that it is not hidden. At least then all council taxpayers would know who to blame for big increases.

marco, croydon says...
10:43pm Sun 3 Feb 08

Hear hear RICHY. As a lifelong Conservative I'm sick and tired of people praising the ANC and their terrorist activities. The governemebt of DeKlerk and Botha was democratically elected by the white south africans and this democracy was overthrown by the ANC. Trust Livingston to support them...

d b wheatley, isleworth says...
4:38pm Thu 7 Feb 08

Paul wrote:
Kenneth Elmes wrote: A man, dedicating most of his life to London and the people of London is the right man to continue the stewardship of a Great Vibrant City. Ken Livingston, after years of neglect through ‘Thatcher’ government has started on the work of bringing London up to the 21st century. Well done Ken.
Obviously the ramblings of a brainwashed New Labour accolyte who is incapable of seeing the destruction of society. I didn\'t agree with the disolution of the GLC but I see why Baroness Thatcher felt it necessary.
If Paul knew Ken Elmes, he would know that Ken is not 'a brainwashed New Labour accolyte (sic)'. What is an accolyte anyway; does he mean acolyte?

And Thatcher wasn't responsible for the disolution of the GLC. The dissolution of the GLC perhaps is what he meant.

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