London Mayoral Election
The Mayor of London is elected using a supplementary vote system by residents of Greater London. The position was created in 2000, the first directly elected mayor in the UK. Voters have first and second preference votes, with the second preferences of votes for all but the top two candidates being re-allocated after the first round of counting.
Boris Johnson has served as Mayor of London since 2008, having defeated the first holder of the post Ken Livingstone, who had held the position since in 2000. Livingstone had initially ben elected as an Independent, having failed to secure the Labour nomination and gone back on an undertaking not to stand against the official Labour candidate. He was subsequently re-admitted to the Labour party and secured a second term as the official Labour candidate.
Current Mayor: Boris Johnson (Conservative) born 1964, New York, USA. Son of Stanley Johnson, former MEP and Conservative candidate in Teignbridge in 2005. Educated at Eton and Oxford, a contemporary of David Cameron. Author, television presenter and journalist. Worked as a columnist on the Daily Telegraph and as editor of The Spectator. Instantly recognisable by his dishevelled appearance, blond thatch of hair and bumbling public-schoolboy mannerisms, he has become a media celebrity through appearances on Have I Got News For You and tendency to make gaffes. As shadow minister for arts under Michael Howard he survived being made to publically apologise to Liverpool over an editoral in the Spectator that accused them of wallowing in victimhood, but not the revelation (that he had previously described as “an inverted pyramid of piffle”) that he had been conducting an affair with Petronella Wyatt. Appointed shadow minister for higher education in 2005-2007. Mayor of London since 2008. Contested Clywd South in 1997. MP for Henley 2001 to 2008.
Ken Livingstone (Labour) born 1945, Lambeth. Educated at Tulse Hill Comprehensive and then trained as a teacher. Former Lambeth and Camden councillor. GLC member for Norwood from 1973-1977. GLC member for Hackney North and Stoke Newington 1977-1981. GLC member for Paddington 1981-1986. Contested Parliamentary seat in Hampstead 1979. Contested leadership of the Labour group on the GLC in 1980, losing to Andrew McIntosh. The day after Labour’s victory in the GLC elections of 1981 he successfully challenged McIntosh to become the leader of the GLC. Livingstone led a left-wing populist regime in County Hall with a tendency toward symbolic acts of defiance towards the Conservative government it faced across the Thames. Livingstone’s policy of subsidised public transport fayres was struck down as unlawful, he declared London a nuclear free zone and extended an official inviation to Gerry Adams at a time when he was banned from the mainland. Livingstone resigned as leader and from the GLC in 1984 to fight a by-election on the issue of opposing the abolition of the GLC. Livingstone won the by-election, but the GLC was abolished at the end of 1986.
Brian Paddick (Liberal Democrat) born 1958, Balham. Educated at Bec Grammar School , Sutton Manor High School and Oxford University. A former police officer, he served as Police Commander for the borough of Lambeth from 2000-2002 and Deputy Assistant Commissioner from 2003-2007. During his time in charge of policing in Lambeth he persued a softly-softly approach to drug use, not arresting or charging people for cannabis possession, and became known as one of the most senior openly gay police officers.
Gerard Batten (UKIP) born 1954, London. Former British Telecom salesman. Contested Barking by-election 1994, Harlow 1997, West Ham 2001, Dagenham 2005. MEP for the London Region since 2004.
Lindsey German (Left List) born 1951, London. Former editor of Socialist Review. Convenor of the Stop the War Coalition. Contested London Mayoral election 2004 as the Respect candidate. Contested West Ham 2005 for Respect. The Respect party split in late 2007, the party’s nominating officer is loyal to the George Galloway faction, leaving members of the SWP faction like German unable to stand under the Respect banner. Respect candidates from the SWP faction will contest the GLA elections under the name The Left List.
Richard Barnbrook (BNP) born 1961, Catford. Educated at the Royal Academy of Art. Art lecturer and sculptor. Barking and Dagenham councillor and BNP group leader since 2006.
Sian Berry (Green) born 1974, Cheltenham. Educated at Pate’s Grammar School and Trinity College, Oxford. Former medical copywriter, now a website manager. Principle Speaker of the Green party since 2007. Contested Hampstead and Highgate 2005. Also running for the London assembly.
Alan Craig (Christian People’s Alliance) Educated at Newcastle University. Former businessman and warden in a young offender institution. Newham councillor. Leader of the Christian People’s Alliance. Also standing for the London assembly.
Matt O’Connor (English Democrats) born 1967. Former marketing executive. Founder of Fathers 4 Justice. Announced he would stop campaigning and withdraw from the race on the 25th April having fallen out with the party leadership.
Winston Mckenzie (Independent) born 1953, Jamacia. Former amateur boxer and hairdresser. Formerly ran a bar and gym in Thornton Heath, now establishing himself as a oil negotiator. Serial party member, having been a member of the Labour party, the Liberal Democrats, Veritas and the Conservatives. Contested Brent East by-election 2003 as an Independent, Croydon North for Veritas in 2005. Resigned from Veritas before rejoining to unsucessfully contest the party leadership. Unsucessfully auditioned for the X Factor in 2005. Unsuccessfully sought Conservative mayoral nomination in 2007 before leaving to stand as an independent.
Steve Norris (Conservative) born 1945, Liverpool. Educated at Liverpool Institute for Boys and Oxford University. Former Volkswagen salesman, later Chairman of construction firm Jarvis plc. Elected to Berkshire county council 1977. MP for Oxford East 1983-1987. MP for Epping Forest 1988-1997. Junior transport minister 1992-1994, Minister of State for Transport 1994-1997. Contested London Mayoral election 2000, 2004. During the media frenzy of exposing Conservative MPs misbehaviour in the 1990s it was revealed that Norris had, over the years, had no fewer than five mistresses, leading to the nickname “Shagger” Norris.
Simon Hughes (Liberal Democrat) born 1951, Cheshire. Educated at Llandaff Cathedral School and Cambridge University. Barrister. The second longest serving Liberal Democrat MP, Hughes was first elected to Parliament in the notorious 1983 Bermondsey by-election. Environment spokesman 1983-1988, education spokesman 1988-1992, environment spokesman 1992-1994, health spokesman 1994-1997, home affairs spokesman 1997-2003. He contested the London Mayoral election in 2004. President of the Liberal Democrats since 2004. Contested the Liberal Democrat leadership elections of 1999 and 2006, during which he was outed by the Sun newspaper.
Frank Maloney (UKIP) born Peckham. Boxing manager and promoter, managed Lennox Lewis 1989-2001. Subsequently resigned from UKIP.
Julian Leppert (BNP) postal worker. Subsequently contested Epping Forest 2005 and was elected as a Redbridge councillor in 2006.
Darren Johnson (Green) born 1966 Educated at Goldsmiths College. Principle speaker for the Green party 2002. Contested London mayoral election 2000, 2004. List London Assembly member since 2000. Lewisham councillor since 2002 and leader of the Green group on Lewisham council. Will contest Lewisham Deptford at next election.
Ram Gidoomal (Christian People’s Alliance) born 1950, Kenya. Came to Britain as a refugee in 1967. Educated at Aga Khan School, Mombassa, Christopher Wren Comprehensive, Shepherd’s Bush and Imperical College. Banker and businessman. Awarded the CBE for services to business in 1998. Leader of the CPA 2000-2004.
Lorna Reid (Independent Working Class Association) Advice worker.
Tammy Nagalingam (Independent) born Sri Lanka. Doctor.
Frank Dobson (Labour) born 1940, York. Educated at Archbishop Holgate’s Grammar School and the LSE. Worked for the Electricty board prior to his election. Camden councillor 1971-75, council leader 1973-1975. First elected as MP for Holborn and St Pancras South in 1979. Spokesman on various issues throughout the 1980s, he was appointed Secretary of State for health on Labour’s election victory in 1997. He remained in post for only two years before being pursuaded to stand for London Mayor. He won the Labour nomination against Ken Livingstone, but was decisively beaten in the actual election. Since then he has been a regular critic of the government and opponant of the war in Iraq
Susan Kramer (Lib Dem) born 1950, London. Educated at St Paul’s and Oxford University. Former Vice-President of Citibank and Director of International Capital Partners, a company advising on infrastructure in Eastern Europe. Stood for London Mayor in 2000. Contested London in 1999 European elections. Contested Dulwich and West Norwood 1997. First elected as MP for Richmond Park in 2005. Liberal Democrat trade and industry spokesman 2006-7, transport 2007-
Michael Newland (BNP) Former building contractor. Treasurer and national press officer of the BNP. Subsequently resigned from the BNP in 2000 after raising questions over the use of party funds and joined the Freedom Party.
Damian Hockney (UKIP) Magazine publisher, plastic surgery affectionado and former Eurovision song contest entrant. A former member of the Conservative party, contested Pendle for the Referendum party in 1997. Contested Kesington and Chelsea for UKIP in the 1999 by-election and 2001 election. Contested London majoral election in 2000. Subsequently elected as a UKIP Londonwide member of the London assembly in 2004, he defected to Robert Kilroy Silk’s Veritas party in 2005 and served as deputy leader until Kilroy’s resignation in 2005. He subsequently founded the One London party in 2005.
Geoffrey Ben-Nathan (Pro-motorist and Small Shop)
Ashwin Tanna (Independent) Pharmacist. Subsequently contested Brent East for UKIP in 2001.
Geoffrey Clements (Natural Law Party) Educated at the University of Sussex. Leader of the Natural Law party. Contested London in 1999 European elections. Contested Southport 1992, Buckingham 1997.
It appears Portillo actually has said that he will be voting against Boris. In which case, he should now be kicked out of the party-something which I’m sure both he AND many Conservatives will find mutually satisfactory.
I suspect Portillo doesn’t really want to be associated with the Conservative Party anymore.
He won’t be of course. Maybe that’s as much a reflection on Cameron’s weakness as Miliband’s failure to expel Sugar is on him.
The Mayoral vote is a bit like the French Presidency. The first vote is with the heart, the second with the head.
In this way Benita, the Greens etc can attract some first preference votes as those who protest know that it will be down to Boris or Ken on the final analysis.
The danger is when a Le Pen type candidate ends up in the run off round.
I read that Michael Portillo is in the frame for Chairman of the Arts Council, so maybe it suits him to be seen as less partisan these days. He was an influential minister – but he has also taken the honourable decision to go and do some other things. There are too many MP’s who stay on way past their “sell buy” date.
Well when Le Pen made the run off it was a complete thrasing. There simply isnt 50% of people who would vote BNP/FN. Barnaby Marder et al would have to come in and vote tory, which would probably feel quite bad!
Yes I would have actually had to vote for Chirac had I been a French voter that year. There was once an occasion when, for some reason, in a Wolverhampton council election the only candidates were Conservative & NF. I would have had to vote Conservative had I had a vote. I am pleased to say that the Conservatives won that election though the NF I believe got about 750 to the Tories’ 1200 or so. (This courtesy of Martin Walker’s book of long ago “The National Front”.)
Watching today’s daily politics on BBC2, its quite clear-although he didn’t quite openly say it-that Lord Winston won’t be voting for Livingstone either.
Thats interesting because of course, Winston is the focus of Labour’s election broadcasts.
Dissapointingly-the BBC rather let Winston off the hook by not pushing him on it. Having said that, it was a VERY Labour centric programme today without any Tories making an appearance I think ,so maybe it was deliberate.
“It appears Portillo actually has said that he will be voting against Boris. In which case, he should now be kicked out of the party”
I’m pretty sure he is no longer a paid up member anyway.
The mayoral race has tightened again, with Boris only 2% ahead in the latest YouGov. It’s getting too close for comfort.
“it was a VERY Labour centric programme today without any Tories making an appearance I think ,so maybe it was deliberate”
Trevor Kavanagh of the Sun was suggesting that if it had been the Green Party, rather than UKIP, who had come third in recent polls, it would most probably have featured on Newsnight, BBC Breakfast etc. I wonder if this is true. They did do a mini documentary on the social problems that may have contributed to last year’s riots.
“Trevor Kavanagh of the Sun was suggesting that if it had been the Green Party, rather than UKIP, who had come third in recent polls, it would most probably have featured on Newsnight, BBC Breakfast etc. I wonder if this is true”
Very, very probably I would say.
Of course the BBC would then put up an argument like “not only do the Greens now rate third in the polls but they already have a sitting MP and so it is entirely justifyable to give them greater attention”. They can justify anything really, so long as there is the odd token left-winger who periodically attack them for bias so that the BBC can quote them and then say “so we’ve got the balance right”.
“The mayoral race has tightened again, with Boris only 2% ahead in the latest YouGov. It’s getting too close for comfort.”
Yes and it puzzles and amazes me. I know all the extreme left wingers like the Greens and the BNP are giving their second votes to Livingstone, and so far I think only the UKIP have come out for Boris second.
But it seems that SO many natural Labour voters simply will not be voting for Livingstone, whilst most Tory voters are motivated for Boris still. I honestly can’t see why its still so close in the polls when barely anyone speaks in support of Livingstone when you talk to them. I mean, even H. Hemmlig isn’t voting for Livingstone this time
(sorry, naughty of me, don’t shout at me).
Either the polls are a partisan vote against the Cameron government or else they must be utterly utterly wrong.
We don’t have long to see which…
London Elects is running a live update of the London results. More than 50% counted in most boroughs now. In summary-
* Boris comfortably ahead of Ken and his re-election now looks a certainty
* Labour well ahead in Barnet & Camden and Ealing & Hillingdon
* Tories ahead in Croydon & Sutton, Havering & Redbridge, Merton & Wandsworth (narrowly)
* Tories have narrow lead in South West but Labour is in close 2nd, Lib Dems are nowhere
Looks like big Labour gains on the assembly with Labour definately taking 2 constituency seats from the Tories, with Merton & Wandsworth too close to call at this stage
I looked at Merton and Wandsworth’s 2008 result this morning and thought it should really be a Labour gain based on the fact its not much safer than Barnet/Camden and Ealing/Hillingdon.
South West sounds awful if Labour are running a close second. Lib Dems will be devastated.
Wouldn’t it be funny if the Lib Dems lost all their assembly seats
Do we know what’s happening in West Central yet?
Tories are comfortably ahead in West Central.
On the list vote, Lib Dems are 4th behind the Greens so far so if they have any seats it will probably be just 1.
UKIP are in 5th and indeed look like getting no seats (as I smugly predicted).
‘Yes and it puzzles and amazes me. I know all the extreme left wingers like the Greens and the BNP are giving their second votes to Livingstone, and so far I think only the UKIP have come out for Boris second.’
You can’t get away with describing the BNP as an “extreme left wing” party
They are extremist sure – but on the Right – and on many of the key issues – immigration, Europe, crime, gay marriage etc – their message is almost indistiguishable from right wing Tories like yourself
One thing however is that fewer votes have been counted so far in the Labour boroughs than the Tory ones.
Hence I think Boris’s lead on first preferences will be smaller than last time, something like 3-4%. Will still be enough to win on 2nd prefs.
Read the BNP manifeston Tim, you can’t get away with trying to claim the BNP are anything other than extreme left wing. And since you’re not a supporter of them, I’m not sure why you’re so worried about it.
But anyway, this isn’t the day for that discussion.
Good to hear from West Central that the Tories are well ahead. I was concerned by that one, as you know.
Rather shows how ridiculous this ‘PR’ electoral system is really. There have been huge swings from Tory to Labour and the effect will be…about 2 or 3 seat changes. Pathetic. We’re seeing the same in Scotland.
PR stops government from changing. I think that is now quite clear and the electoral systems in London, Europe and Scotland need to be looked at again now.
Weve had the BNP debate and all have our opinions. Shall we agree to call them racist nutjobs on neither wing. Im actually quite worried. The tory areas are much more counted so far than labour ones. Itll be close. I think Boris will just about manage it though, fingers crossed
I think the 2nd preferences will go roughly as follows:
BNP: 2:1 Boris
UKIP: 3 to 4:1 Boris
LD: 3 to 2 Boris (maybe 4:3)
Benita: Hard to say, maybe slightly Ken 3 to 2 or so
Green. 4 to 1 Ken
Overall not much change to the overall picture.
Now very close in Havering & Redbridge, Tories only have tiny lead over Labour.
Tories have won Merton & Wandsworth.
It looks 45-40 to Johnson at the moment. What are people thinking?
Agreed but it will narrow as most of the votes have already been counted in the outer Tory boroughs whilst some Labour boroughs like Brent and Haringey have only counted 20%.
It won’t narrow enough for Ken to win, but I think the lead on 1st prefs will be 3-4% narrowing to 2-3% on 2nd prefs. A bit narrower than the polls.
I would imagine Bromley, Bexley, Havering and Hillingdon to vote overwhelmingly for Boris. The battle will be won in Redbridge, Harrow, Enfield, Croydon and Hounslow I think
I think there should be an enquiry as to why it always takes so long to get these London results.
They’re better off counting by hand like everywhere else instead of using these dysfunctional counting machines.
It’s an utter shambles.
I wonder if anybody knows if there is a breakdown of votes in terms of demographics i.e which religious group voted for a particular candidate.etc
No pollster is going to bother answering such an easy question.
Apologies for the flippancy but I don’t think these guesses will be far out:
Muslim 99.9% Ken
Christian black 99.9% Ken
Hindu/Sikh 70% Ken
White protestant 90% Boris
(“Christian socialists” in Islington like the Milibands make up the 10% for Ken)
White catholic 70% Boris
Jewish 99.9% Boris
Atheist black 99.9% Ken
Atheist white 70% Boris
Surely the MIlibands (along with Barnaby) are the 0.1% of Jews who voted for Livingstone
Yes I suppose that’s right.
Tony Blair would be a better example if he hadn’t converted to catholicism after leaving office.
My parents & my cousin Barry (former Labour parliamentary candidate) also voted for Livingstone. So did many of my parents’ Jewish friends – considering that they live here in Richmond, it’s amazing how many of their friends are (ethnically) Jewish.
The figures above wouldn’t be as extreme as that – although obviously some of them will be extremely high one way or the other.
I suspect the next candidate won’t be Ken, but some screechy politically correct type.
I don’t think the “white protestant” vote would have been as high as 90% Boris. More like 65%.
The Greater London population is probably now something like 60% white, 40% ethnic minorities but when it comes to voting it’ll more like 70% white 30% EM because white people are more likely to be registered and more likely to vote.
Not necessarily so.
Remember the white population contains large numbers of immigrants from Eastern Europe who are as unlikely to be registered as the black population.
Asians are at least as likely to vote as whites.
There’s no way that 70% of those who voted this year will have been white….60% is more like it.
“I don’t think the “white protestant” vote would have been as high as 90% Boris. More like 65%.”
That’s mathematically impossible, given that the ethnic minority vote would have been at least 80% for Ken and ctholics are more Labour leaning than protestants.
90% was obviously a joke, but I think 75% is an absolute miniumum or the maths do not work.
I disagree with you about the white vote. I think it would have closer to 70% rather than 60% of all votes cast and I stand by my white Protestant vote of 65% for Boris. I don’t think the white Catholic vote would have been much lower. Only in somewhere like Brent with it’s Irish population would there be any significant difference between the two.
My guess of how ethnic groups voted would be something like this, (with Johnson first):
White (about 68% of those voting): 64%/36%
Black (9%): 12%/88%
Asian Muslim (9%): 16%/84%
Asian non-Muslim (10%): 40%/60%
Others (4%): 35%/65%
Of course a significantly higher turnout among older people than younger people compared to a general election (which there must have been I think) would inevitably mean a higher proportion of white voters than otherwise.
Turnout was only 38.1% compared to 45.3% in 2008 which probably meant a slightly higher proportion of older voters in 2012 compared to 2008.
From the distance of living 100 miles away in the midlands you do not appreciate how fast London has changed compared with those of us who live here who can see the changes before our own eyes every day.
Demographically it is a very different place since the 2001 census and even since the 2008 election.
Plus your Asian non-muslim guess cannot be right.
In the major Sikh and Hindu areas such as Heston, Hayes, Southall and Brent North Boris got far less than 40% of the vote.
And my last comment on this – to suggest black voters were only 9% of the total is far too low.
I visit London quite a lot – and not just the central areas – so I’m fairly familiar with the changes taking place.
One of the reasons why I gave the black proportion as only 9% is because I’ve read several sources which state that the registration and turnout of black Africans in particular is very low indeed.
Another factor is that I think when turnout is only 38% it means that a disproportionate number of non-white voters are not voting and the white vote is higher than it would be with a general election turnout. That’s all conjecture but so are most of the comments on this site.
The 2011 census will be helpful as far as this discussion is concerned.
I’m not sure that the proportion of black voters would be much higher than 10% for the reasons Andy states but I do agree that the non-muslim Asian population would have been far more overwhelmingly for Livingstone than this as he was still getting over 80% in some of the Southall wards where HIndus and Sikhs are still the dominant demographic. This slightly surprised and disappointed me as I had thought that Livingstone’s cosying up to Islamic extremists would alienate many voters in these groups, even if not to the extent that it did amongst Jewish and other white voters
These are disappointing figures if they are true – I am not up to date frankly on all of this
but I thought Hindus were more Conservative inclined.
Do people seriously think Muslims would be 90%+ for Livingstone?
I accept the Hindu/Sikh vote was probably lower than 40% Johnson. But it’s possible he received more than the 16% Muslim support – maybe it was somewhere between 20-25% because there are a fair number of wealthier Muslims that are not often focused on because most of the attention is on the majority of young and poorer Muslims living in areas like Newham and Tower Hamlets.
A rule I usually apply is that whenever people talk of 90% of a particular group supporting a candidate it’s usually an exaggeration. Getting 80% is a difficult task in most cases. But there are some exceptions such as black voters supporting Labour in this country or the Democrats in the US.
Hindus and Sikhs will continue to vote for Labour until they attain a certain amount of wealth and tend to switch parties once that happens. Southall, Heston and Hayes are overwhelmingly drab places and as such will stay Labour strongholds.
Muslims will overwhelmingly support Ken, even those who have done well are probably still more likely to vote Labour than Tory. It goes without saying that poorer Muslims, like those in Tower Hamlets or Newham will always vote Labour. Almost certainly over 90% JJB with the rest going to Respect or dodgy independants.
The black vote is also all one way. Black Africans will overwhelmingly support Labour, while a small proportion are probably Tory voters. Black Caribbeans vote Labour. I’d put that figure at about 98%, especially with an unpopular Tory-led govenment in Westminster.
In other words, without getting some of these voters to switch the Tories are going to struggle in London over the next few decades.
I get the impression religious black African people might sometimes vote Tory.
There was a very nice family who I used to bump into occasionally in Richmond
and they did seem to quite like Thatcher.
It is very difficult for people who don’t actually live in London – no matter how often they visit – to understand the sheer polarisation of political opinions amongst the different racial groups here.
LBernard clearly understands this from his vantage point in north east London.
Out in the shires, ethnic minorities are wealthier and fewer in number, and through necessity and inclination their lifestyles blend in more comfortably with their white neighbours.
It therefore must be quite alien to someone living in Lichfield to think that a particular group could vote more than 90% for Labour, but as LBernard says, in the circumstances of London that is most likely the case for much of the black and Asian population. Ken got more than 70% of the second round vote even in areas such as Edmonton where at least 20-30% of the population must still be white British and thus mostly Boris supporters….meaning a North Korean level of support from afro-caribbeans.
I did write that black voters were voting almost 90% Labour in London. It’s probably the same in Birmingham, Leicester, Nottingham, Derby, etc.
As you say, all this is conjecture and impossible to prove.
If you are right that approx 70% of the people who actually cast a vote were white, and that only 10% of voters were black, then the future for the Conservatives in London will be very bleak when actual votes start to reflect an ethnic minority population that will in a few years be at the 50-50 level with whites.
We will all have to wait until the census figures come out in full. I’m expecting some shocking results…especially in London.
“Out in the shires, ethnic minorities are wealthier and fewer in number, and through necessity and inclination their lifestyles blend in more comfortably with their white neighbours”. This is definately true.
HH – what do you think is the current proportion of white people in Greater London? I’m assuming it’s something like 60%, which is why I tend to think white people comprise about 64% of registered voters and about 68% in the 2012 London mayoral election with a 38% turnout.
On the other hand, if white people made up 60% of voters in the mayoral election, I’d then assume they comprise about 56% of registered voters and 52% of the total population.
If anything Hindu voters have shown even greater loyalty to Labour than Muslims – they have not flirted with Respect or the LDs to anything like the same extent. Look for example at the overwhelming Labour share of the vote in Belgrave in Leicester – a Hindu stronghold. Hindus are perhaps at present slightly less Labour-voting than Muslims in general, but the difference isn’t as great as all that.