Are we going to see a BLUE London next year?

A resurgence for Labour?

Last year the Conservatives won the most votes across the country but in London there was resurgence for Labour in some London Boroughs. While the Conservatives gained some MPs, there was also disappointment in seats such as Westminster North and Hammersmith and a recent   YouGov poll showed Labour leading the Conservatives across the capital by 19%. 

With this in mind, the challenger and former London Mayor, Ken Livingstone should be confident in defeating the Conservative incumbent Boris Johnson in next year’s London Mayoral Election. While these figures demonstrate how Londoners are likely to vote in a General Election Peter Kellner, of YouGov has undertaken an interesting piece of research, in the latest issue of Prospect Magazine. 

‘Boris Reds’

Kellner revealed that when given the direct choice between Livingstone and Johnson, Livingstone is actually trailing behind Johnson by eight points.This suggests that a number of Labour supporters simply dislike Livingstone or rather see Johnson as the London Mayor.  The polls reveal that one in five Labour voters is rooting for Boris Johnson; now known as ‘Boris Reds.’

Kellner commented, ‘They tend to think Ken has lost touch with Londoners, and that Boris is decisive and sticks to what he believes in.’ A defeat in next year Mayoral elections could see the end of Livingstone’s political career and problems for the Labour leader, Ed Miliband.    

It is true to say that an independent-minded Conservative can win in London. Boris is not afraid to differentiate himself from Cameron’s policy and in a recent interview with Prospect; he stated that he would continue to oppose David Cameron on “housing, policing, transport infrastructure, aviation, and the burden of taxation.”

Putting the village back into the city.

He spoke as the protector for London in the Conservative Conference in Manchester last week and suggested to the Coalition government that despite of the economic climate, financial contributions towards projects in London should continue than this could drive economic growth.  On housing, he stated he aims to put the village back into the city, referring that Mahatma Gandhi was wrong to suggest in 1948 that the ‘future of India lay in its 700,000 villages.’ Johnson commented, ‘We are on target to build a record 50,000 affordable homes over four years and we will do even more over the next four. But we are also insisting on homes that are big enough for families and with rooms big enough for human beings rather than hobbits. By next year this mayoralty will have planted 50,000 trees including street trees and we are not only protecting back gardens from development and consecrating green space.’

Johnson charismatic approach proved a hit at the Conference but will he triumph at next year Mayoral election, recent polls suggest so.