We don’t, as a rule, get too involved in politics. After all there are plenty of other media outlets to satisfy that particular vice.
We do live, however, in an ‘up and coming’ bit of north London and so are a teeny bit curious about who readers would vote for this Thursday as next London Mayor. This, despite similar pledges popping out of each well-primed mouth: policing (a really big one, of course, after the riots), safer streets, reversing each other’s cuts.
We were all for Brian Paddick back in 2008 until editor Stephen interviewed him for The Guardian and found him snappily curt (there had been a mix-up about times) and with a propensity for name-dropping (the brief conversation was littered with references to Elton, David, George Michael). It was no surprise to see him enter the Celebrity jungle; although now his need for fame has, perhaps, been assuaged by a pair of spectacles and sober expression as the ‘Londoners’ Mayor’.
Yet to give him his dues, his people were at least the only ones to get back and decline The Kentishtowner an interview (Thanks Ken! Thanks Boris!) and we’re not actually against an ex-cop gay Mayor. In fact, it seems like Quite A Good Thing.
What else? Boris has ‘cut’ 1700 police but now plans to reinstate 1000 of them. Oh, and create 200,000 jobs, whilst ‘restoring’ 300 acres of green space. Lots of figures then but he still comes bottom of all main candidates on proposed green issues. ‘Tired old’ Ken’s big thing is sensibly cutting fares, from £1.35 to £1.20, (and of course reversing Boris’ police cuts).
And then there’s Jenny Jones, whose pledges are less figure-based and more whimsical (‘I will complete a network of green spaces to give everyone access to nature’ – sounds great, Jen!) And, please, let’s not even give any airtime to Lawrence Webb or Carlos Cortiglia.
But overall, we can’t help thinking that, perusing the motley collection of mugshots with unrealistic vote-winning platitudes, surely there are more inspiring candidates out there in this, the greatest city in the world?
Or should Mrs Kentishtowner have switched off the telly off and started canvassing herself? (Maybe next time, as her idol Sally Bowles would say).
So, then, shall we have a mass debate? Who’s best for north London?
9 thoughts on “Why It Matters special: Who will Kentishtowners vote for as Mayor?”
I think with 3 Labour councillors and a Labour MP, tis fair to say that K Town will safely vote in a leftish direction. However, the turnout of Labour voters is not something that can be relied on at the moment as Ken is a candidate who stokes up much division and anger even amongst the solid left. Camden more widely is a more interesting picture and I’m sure Ken’s provocative comments on the Jewish community won’t help him in other Camden wards.
Importantly in Camden, I hope people who may be considering not voting remember that we also have a vote for our London Assembly member in this election. Our assembly member is conservative Brian Coleman at the moment and I would urge everybody, Tory Labour whatever, to do some research on him and decide if he’s fit to represent Camden…
Thanks Laura. Interesting comments especially about Brian Coleman. Everyone should take a moment to google him. Totally unsuitable for our inclusive communities in Camden/Kentish Towns. (By the way we did try to get in touch with you for a quote but guessing you’re pretty busy.)
I tend to lean to the left but on this occasion I’m undecided just three days before the big day. There’s just a lack of choice.
Ken’s got better policies on housing (city hall landlords register/ equity sharing for developers) that should boost social housing and make renting a little cheaper, but his fares policy worries me.
I think it was the Reality Check blog on the Guardian that found his pledge would cost £270m in the first year. TFL runs a £277m surplus so he could take it from that, but how sensible is it to run a business the size and scale TFL without a surplus? He’s a big spender.
Meanwhile Boris has got one eye on a safe seat in Reigate and just doesn’t seem to have the thirst for it anymore. I saw him speak at a debate the other day and the humour can be charming, but when you get onto topics like social housing it starts to grate.
The Kentishtowner should back someone, we’ll all follow your lead and then we can claim it was K Town wot won it.
The trouble is we feel the same. Uninspired and lacking in choice. What do people really think of Paddick by the way?
Ageing soak red, blubbering moron blue, frizzy green turtle in the green corner and then we have B Paddick (‘I’m a celebrity get me outta here’ with buns of steel) Hmm, slim pickings… think I’ll opt for the buns. Be interesting to see a ‘gay’ lording it up over London Town
I think Brian is a bit of a walking disaster, sometimes through unfortunate editing an other times through his own doing, but it was great to see him backing up Ken on police figures when Boris was blatantly lying. To be honest when it comes down to it the final choice is going to be Red or Blue.
Any Kentish Towners who’d like to meet Jenny Jones to make up their own mind are welcome to meet her personally in Kentish Town tomorrow (Wednesday) from 10am outside the Co-op, where we’ll have a stall.
We’ve knocked on a lot of doors in Kentish Town and think most people know that they have two votes for mayor. They can vote for Jenny Jones for first choice if they like our policies (and even Assembly Tories agree that their coherent and honestly costed!), and then use their second choice vote to choose between Ken and Boris (and we’re recommending Ken.) In the second round of voting both votes have equal weight.
And in the London Assembly they can elect more Greens, for real action on equality and fair pay, on streets safe for pedestrians and cyclists, breathable air and for sensibly managed policing.
(Since I’m No 4 on the Green Party list, and through the proportional, orange, ballot paper there’s a chance I could be elected – we’ve always had two Assembly members, and previously had three, I should declare an interest!)
I have a feeling Ken might just edge it. So much Tory sleaze flying around at the moment and Boris has been fairly useless. I especially liked it when he moved the congestion zone so that it no longer covered the posher bits of Kensington and West London where clearly nobody can afford the charge on top of all the petrol for their 4×4’s.