The defeat of Ken Livingstone after eight years as Mayor of London is a big moment with implications way beyond the capital. We might well look back on Boris Johnson's remarkable victory as the time when the tide turned against Labour and could not be turned back by the general election.
As the Tories acknowledged, Ken did some good things for London. It was in their interests to do so (as that's what many Londoners felt) rather than portray Livingstone as all bad. In any case, the London Evening Standard did their dirty work for them.
The demise of Livingstone is very bad news for Gordon Brown. Ken's team calculated that his ratings were normally about 10 points higher than Labour's. So how did he lose? A highly effective (and expensive) "get out the vote" operation by the Tories in the outer London boroughs made it virtually impossible for Ken to make up the ground in his inner London strongholds. Boris fought a clever and disciplined campaign. He grew up politically from the TV show joker, even if he was hazy on policy. It will be fascinating to see whether he can keep it up as Mayor, but those people expecting him to implode may be proved wrong (again).
I suspect Labour's defeat in London is not so much a vote against Brown, Labour or even Ken personally, but a vote against incumbency, a "time for change" message. That should be what worries Brown most. When he took over from Tony Blair, he knew he needed to be "the change" that many people wanted. But Labour's dismal local election results show he has failed. After 11 years in power, it is very hard to look new.
Boris provided a breath of fresh air in London, making Ken look a bit stale. David Cameron will look new at the general election (even though he'll be the longest-serving party leader) because Brown has been on the scene for so long. And what was the most brilliant piece ever of political marketing? New Labour.
Dismal, absolutely dismal result for London, to let a political joke like Johnson become mayor. I am so glad I have moved out of the place. Londoners will deserve evrything thry get.
Posted by: george same | Saturday, 03 May 2008 at 11:00 AM
It was the usual politician's story with Ken: he makes promises (no tube fare rises, keep the Routemasters) then breaks them. So I voted for Boris. If he breaks his promises (fight crime, deliver value for money, no foreign junkets) then I'll change again - and again, and again and again......
Posted by: Dave | Saturday, 03 May 2008 at 11:02 AM
>> I suspect Labour's defeat in London is not so much a vote against Brown, Labour or even Ken personally <<
Wrong.
# Brown's spineless support for a yankee war in Iraq was a major factor in the anti-Labour vote. Every day British soldiers are DYING FOR NOTHING in Iraq, and Gutless Gordy does NOTHING to stop it. He should be thrown out of No 10 and kicked bodily down Whitehall for this alone.
# Brown's gutless yankee bootlicking is offensive to most people who believe he's supposed to be the PM of *Great Britain*, and not Bush's toadying Viceroy.
# If that hopeless nincompoop thought hiking taxes for the poorest was an appealing idea to Labour voters, then they gave him a kick up the jaxie as a reminder.
# Lying to Parliament, the voters and the Olympic Committee about the *known* costs of Britain's Olympic bid?? Not clever. The behaviour of a craven stinking coward. And of course, the shortfall's been stolen from Education & Health - to build a stadium for his personal aggrandizement? Fat fool.
# Blab-mouth Brown came up with the idea to have Mussolini-style Military Units in School. Another good reason to kick him out of power.
Let's be clear, Andrew. THE PUBLIC HATE THIS FAT INCOMPETENT LYING TRAITOROUS CRETIN. Can it be put clearer than that?
BROWN MUST GO.
Posted by: Neil McGowan | Saturday, 03 May 2008 at 11:14 AM
God help London under Boris. Thankj God I moved away
Posted by: David Dayus | Saturday, 03 May 2008 at 11:18 AM
This result was purely a vote against the labour government and are unelected prime minister.
It isn't just a vote for a change; its a vote against.
Posted by: J Trengove | Saturday, 03 May 2008 at 11:26 AM
I believe it was Aristotle who said "People get the government they deserve". I can't imagine what Londoners did to get Boris. Perhaps there's a connection with 'binge drinking'? I'm off!
Posted by: Peter Hamill | Saturday, 03 May 2008 at 11:30 AM
Two things.
1) The Evening Standard, and Andrew Gilligan, are a disgrace. Irresponsible journalism at its very a worst - a source of deep shame for London.
2) Those millions who didn't bother to vote. How dare people NOT vote? People have died for democracy, and millions have struggled for the right to vote, and yet people still 'can't be bothered to vote'. Man, they make me sick.
Posted by: Bood | Saturday, 03 May 2008 at 11:35 AM
Oh Dear Oh Dear - - as Jonesy in Dad's Army would say - they don't like it up 'em do they Mr Manwaring.
Along with the right to vote goes the right not to vote if you believe none of today's politicians are worthy of support.
Posted by: John Tommey | Saturday, 03 May 2008 at 11:49 AM
The thing about not voting is this. If the party I'd like to vote for isn't standing where I live, why should I vote for people I don't like and legitimise them by default? If there was a box I could tick that said 'None of the above, they're all w**kers, I'd really prefer ...........', I'd be quite happy for voting to be made compulsory. At least that way, the muppets in charge would have a true idea of who SHOULD be in power.
You know the party I'm talking about.
Posted by: Alan Stenson | Saturday, 03 May 2008 at 12:11 PM
At least one factor in Ken's defeat must be Labour's smoking ban, which Ken supported, and Boris didn't. Boris said that such bans should be left to local authorities. That won Boris the smokers' vote, and lost it for Ken. It's a significant minority, since smokers make up 25% of the voting population.
But somehow or other, nobody can see this. And nobody is even permitted to say this. And so I expect that this comment of mine will be deleted, if it is ever published in the first place. Smokers are getting used to being ignored. But they are still voters.
Posted by: Frank Davis | Saturday, 03 May 2008 at 12:18 PM
The result isn't surprising. Although Ken is largely the vicitm of Labour's national unpopularity, he also made some errors. Everyone loved the Routemaster buses and getting rid of them was a mistake. The other error was the proposed 25 pound congestion charge on luxury cars, even though I agreed with it. It seemed a bit extreme and it provided the wealthy and aspirant - of which there are very many in London - the perfect excuse to go and vote Tory. Ken misread the mentality of many Londoners here. It is a shame because on most measures Ken was a great mayor and I think Boris is going to be terrilbe. If you're reading this Ken, keep your chin up and thanks and well done for all your great work for London.
Posted by: Mike | Saturday, 03 May 2008 at 12:30 PM
Yesterday & today I had the miserable and most depressing task of analysing and commentating on the biggest poliitcal disaster since 1979, for our local radio station.
Hundreds of council seats lost in core Labour areas, Ken ousted in London, the BNP being elected, in what should be solid Labour areas.
After 11 years of "Labour?" government we still have:
1. Many pensioners unable to heat their homes because of energy prices out of control.
2. No guarantee of free residential elderly care in England, our forces stuck in Iraq and Afghanistan in conflicts we know we cannot leave except in defeat.
3. Academically able teenagers who will not contemplate university because of the debts they fear they will incur.
4. A parastic monarchy that costs the equivalent of 10 hospitals a year, while women in some areas of the UK cannot get vital drug treatments for breast cancer because their NHS trust won't fund it.
5. People living in fear of anti-social behaviour on housing estates and in other neighbourhoods.
6. A proposal to make income tax regressive, by making the poor pay as much basic rate as higher earners
7. Difficulties in recruting teachers, with others leaving teaching in record numbers.
8. A political system and constitution stuck in the 18th century
9. £120 million a year given in "charitable tax relief subsidies" to private schools.
10. A massive security problem for the UK, with over 70% of our oil coming from an increasingly unstable middle east and over 70% of our gas coming from Russia which has showm no hesitation in shutting off supplies to its neighbours if they don't pay the supplier's price.
Is it any wonder we are being deserted? Stand by for Thatcher's fourth term:
1. The UK abrogating The social chapter of the Treaty of European Union, so that British workers will loose employment rights & social protection, families losing social rights.
2. The UK abrogating the EU employment rights directives which will
remove most core employment rights.
3. The end of the minimum wage
4. Wholesale privatisations in: education, the NHS and other public services.
Gordon Brown has the power and means to be history's greatest Labour prime minister, pity he never uses them!
Just a rant from a lifelong Labour supporter !
Posted by: David Craik | Saturday, 03 May 2008 at 01:14 PM
May I remind David Dayus that Macmillan and Jim Callaghan were also 'unelected Prime Ministers' when they first took office. Angry about this as well?
It wasn't that Johnson won, so much that Livingstone lost; too much open corruption and cronyism, as well as quite disgusting courting of dubious clerics who endorsed antisemitism and misogyny. Also a quite bizarre and reprehensible campaign to brand Trevor Phillips a racist.
Posted by: Dectora | Saturday, 03 May 2008 at 01:15 PM
Great news! A breath of fresh air for London. I'm sure Boris will do a great job.
Posted by: Alex | Saturday, 03 May 2008 at 01:32 PM
It was Groucho Marx who said that he would never join a club which would accept him as a member !
Why o why Ken did you apply to rejoin the conservative New Labour machine when you would have won easily if you had remained an independent and thus untainted by Nu-Labour sleeze,incompetance and their paranoid fear of radicalism ?
You've only yourself to blame. Brown and Blair dragged you down with them when you could have let go of the anchor and stayed on the surface...not drowning...but waving !
Posted by: john appleby | Saturday, 03 May 2008 at 02:02 PM
Why can't all of them do it together? Why have one mayor for such a massive city? I thought we lived in a democracy.
Posted by: Sarah | Saturday, 03 May 2008 at 02:08 PM
"disgusting courting of dubious clerics who endorsed antisemitism and misogyny."
Have you actually ever read any thing written by Yusef Al Qaaradawi, or is it somehow more convenient to make do with whatever Memri pumps your way? Well,now we've got Boris, I'm sure that "comfortable" option will become de rigeur. We'll see who is actually planning to wipe who "off the map". And will all have to live with the consequences.
Posted by: Campbell | Saturday, 03 May 2008 at 03:00 PM
Thank God Boris won. I hope he now targets fanatical Muslims, unlike Ken who pampered to their every whim.
Posted by: Mikko Takala | Saturday, 03 May 2008 at 04:09 PM
I THINK A GUY WITH THREE WIVES AND FIVE KIDS HAS NO TIME FOR (ANY) PROFESSIONAL COMMITMENT. HE WOULD NOW HAVE MORE TIME TO SHAG MORE FUTURE MOTHERS AND INCREASE HIS HERD
Posted by: TERMINATOR | Saturday, 03 May 2008 at 04:21 PM
Chairman Mao had loads of mistresses and kids and he ruled China! I can't see how his sex life has anything to do with his job. A virile man usually has a lust for life so hopefully he'll put his lust for life to good use now.
Posted by: loppo | Saturday, 03 May 2008 at 04:46 PM
It was the Evening Standard wot won it. I shall be eternally grateful. I seem to recall that Zanu NuLabour is looking to recruit a new General Secretary...conspiracies galore, limitless political correctness and looming bankruptcy. 'sounds just the job for the newt fancier.
BORIS 20012.
Posted by: Harry | Saturday, 03 May 2008 at 05:00 PM
I am glad the left has been given the boot. I am sick of their "say this and then go and do that" political tactics.
I am also enjoying reading and seeing how the lefty mafia, complete with some sectors of the British media and all those little mediocrities we call artists, actors, writers and personalities all doing their "gloom and doom" bit, about how it is all going to fall apart now without Ken, I find this leftist moral superiority laughable and repulsive.
I do not vote, which is my right, and if i had done i would have voted for Boris, so there, not all those who did not vote would have voted for Ken either.
I am happy Boris won.
Posted by: exlondoner | Saturday, 03 May 2008 at 05:07 PM
CAUSES of this debacle are numerous. What is clear is that Londoners do not value experience, skill or committment. To them, politics is prescribed by the media, and is unrelated to policy, achievement or vision.
Posted by: Francis Oeser | Saturday, 03 May 2008 at 05:25 PM
Ken's mate Yusuf Al-Qaradawi(referred to above) has, of course, been banned from entering the United States since 1999 and the United Kingdom since 2008. Mr Al-Qaradawi is known for rejecting the concept of universal human rights and endorses Palestinian suicide bombing attacks against Israeli civilian targets. Charming fellow, obviously. Boris 2012.
Posted by: Harry | Saturday, 03 May 2008 at 05:56 PM
Ken achieved nothing except stealth taxing the poor (the congestion charge and inflated tube fares) and stuffing his big gang's pockets with cash (sorry, "grants and expenses").
Posted by: Mikko Takala | Saturday, 03 May 2008 at 05:58 PM
This is a great day for London. Boris should now carry out a witch hunt to ferret out all the waste and corruption that Livingstone has perpetrated. The great attributes of public school educated politicians are (1) they are highly intelligent having had a superb education and (2) they are already rich. The problem with having loony left proletariat as politicians is that they come into politics green with envy with the principal objective of enriching themselves from the public purse. I am looking forward to very significant reductions in council tax once Boris takes his machete to the non-jobbers, friends and family and other gross misappropriations of taxpayers money.
Posted by: Charles Moore | Saturday, 03 May 2008 at 06:16 PM
With the anti-politician mood of the country .The affable but untried Boris seemd a attractive proposition to some.Ken tried to have is cake and eat it by inviting a anti-semetic ,anti gay cleric .Refusing to apolagise to a evening standard journalist on principle ,even though he used to have a column in that newspaper.
He reminded people he was not anti-semetic or anti-gay but went out of his way to appeal to different groups who may have held anti-semetic and anti-gay attitudes.
A London mayor should unify the capitals population not promote division. He deserved to lose but the result for the left looks bleak with Boris in and a B.N.P assembly member.
Look at the constituency results and youll notice that the conservative and B.N.P vote went up largely as a result of U.K.I.P candidates collapsing vote .
The centre left still has the majority of votes in London.
Next time we need a better centre left candidates and campaigns from the Liberal democrats or Labour to deny the Tories.
Posted by: dave morp | Saturday, 03 May 2008 at 06:27 PM
Red Ken is a relic.
He's still fighting the Cold War on the lefties side.
Oh Ken, it's over, and the whacy commies lost.
Posted by: Milton Veiller | Saturday, 03 May 2008 at 06:37 PM
Alert...the reactionary cretins from Telegraphshire have landed and it looks like they mean business.
We must repel these invaders with big words and logic. There brains are tiny and are easily rendered to mush by superior intellects.
Expect a heavy bombardment of off the peg Telegraph/Mail quotes and 'Angry of Tunbridge Wells' sentiments !
Posted by: john appleby | Saturday, 03 May 2008 at 08:13 PM
It's down hill from here for us Londoners, what can Gordon do but eat eat eat that. Vote wasted
Posted by: Sam | Saturday, 03 May 2008 at 08:17 PM
"We must repel these invaders with big words and logic. ***There*** brains are tiny and are easily rendered to mush by superior intellects." -- Posted by: john appleby | Saturday, 03 May 2008 at 08:13 PM
***I may only be a tiny-brained Tory from Hackney, but even I know when to use "there" and when to use "their".
Do carry on being contemptuous of us. It will dull your pain over the next few weeks and months, and ensure you remain strategically inept when it comes to fighting our revitalised, liberal Conservative party.
I also enjoy the left wing posts which foretell doom in London now. We're about to be led by a decent man of intellect with a gloriously liberal outlook on life. We are going to have civility and decency in City Hall. An end to the politics of Identity/Hate. Let the sunshine in!
Posted by: Graeme Archer | Saturday, 03 May 2008 at 08:27 PM
Liberal conservative ? Isn't that an oxymoron ?
Bozo first policy statement includes a promise to crack down on youth crome.
Nothing wrong with that but how is this 'liberal'
Ditto the Tories support for maintaining the status quo with all that implies.
Surely a Liberal Conservative makes as much sense as a Marxist free marketeer ?
Posted by: john appleby | Saturday, 03 May 2008 at 08:59 PM
Gordon and the PMQ 'doughnut' [Straw - 'Eyore' , Milliband- Work Experience Student and Darling- Mournful Panda] 'look' odd and as Professor Albert Mehabriam proved in 1967 what things 'look' like accounts for 55% of the persuasion factor for most human beings. Next comes 'Voice tone' at 38% followed finally by Content which rates only 7%. Until Gordon understands that 'facts' are , alas, very poor persuaders of people and that he needs to get control over his facial tics and awkward limbs, he will continue on this slow spiral dive into oblivion.
Posted by: Bob Etherington | Saturday, 03 May 2008 at 09:18 PM
"Surely a Liberal Conservative makes as much sense as a Marxist free marketeer ?
Posted by: john appleby | Saturday, 03 May 2008 at 08:59 PM"
Well, I never claim to make much sense :-0)
Liberals believe in contracts between the individual and the state, Conservatives believe in the importance of institutions. So, for example, liberal-Tory implies support for civil partnerships, because we believe in the importance of marriage to society, *and* think those benefits should be available to all. [OT: I would just call it "marriage"]. It's about expanding the Conservative belief in those institutions which shape society to ensure that no-one feels marginalised or excluded from participation in them. I don't really see the contradiction, but (as you pointed out in your original post) all Tories are stupid. Perhaps you'll explain the contradiction? Do remember to use small words though in you're [geddit!] exposition.
To be serious, if you're interested, check out www.platform10.org, the homepage of liberal Tories.
Posted by: Graeme Archer | Saturday, 03 May 2008 at 09:39 PM
Above all, Boris, please please please don't let the mega Mosque that Livingstone was pushing be built in Newham. If it gets built, right next to the Olympic Stadium, it will be THE END for London as it is swamped for eternity by hordes of "worshippers" from all over the Muslim world and, for starters, the non-Muslim population of that part of the East End would be promptly driven out by Muslims moving in. Hackney and Walthamstow would be next on the list to finish off. The Muslims are joining up the dots anyway but that Mosque, if built, wouldn't be a dot, but one huge great blot on the landscape with repercussions on our city and all its indigenous population, indeed on our whole country, which would reverberate down the coming centuries.
Posted by: Judith C | Saturday, 03 May 2008 at 09:42 PM
Ken done a great job in his 8 years for London and as a young citizen I believe his best policy was bringing about free travel on the buses for under 18s. Ken had a vision for London and Boris now has a great opportunity to ruin this.
Boris is nothing more than a clown and if he does do a successful job as Mayor, although he will get many of the plaudits, it is his backroom who will be doing all the hard work for him because personally I don't believe Boris has a clue.
Posted by: Muhammad Ali | Sunday, 04 May 2008 at 12:21 AM
"I suspect Labour's defeat in London is not so much a vote against Brown, Labour or even Ken personally, but a vote against incumbency, a "time for change" message" (Andrew Grice)
-- No, Ken's share of the vote actually INCREASED slightly. What seems to have happened is that the Tories collected votes that had gone to UKIP and "others" last time, plus some defections to Tory from Lib Dem, who did very badly. There was no swing against Ken, as such.
Posted by: peezedtee | Sunday, 04 May 2008 at 01:03 AM
A significant contributor to Boris's victory was the left-wing commentariat. Their attacks on Boris Johnson were so ridiculous, so laughable, that they reinforced people's perception that the left is unconnected to reality.
---
A proud resident of Bexley and Bromley - 58% of Boris's margin
"It's us wot won it" (Original credits "The Sun", 1992)
Posted by: Cynosarges | Sunday, 04 May 2008 at 01:48 AM