Vote
I can't for a moment think that anyone who reads this would forget to vote, but just in case...
Personally, my choice would be Iain Sinclair for Mayor, but since he's, perhaps sensibly, not running, I'll be voting for the only candidate I believe actually gives a damn about London, whatever I may think of them personally. I urge you to do the same. Think of London when you make your mark.
Personally, my choice would be Iain Sinclair for Mayor, but since he's, perhaps sensibly, not running, I'll be voting for the only candidate I believe actually gives a damn about London, whatever I may think of them personally. I urge you to do the same. Think of London when you make your mark.
posted by The Greenwich Phantom at
08:29
58 Comments:
Is that the poet or the guy who invented the batteryless torch?
I wish either one was on my ballot papers, it seems to me like voting for the least of all evils.
Confounded of Greenwich.
The former, though he does like to carry a torch when he's on one of his grumpy-passionate rambles...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iain_Sinclair
I'll be voting for the only candidate I believe actually gives a damn about London
I would too, but Brian Paddick doesn't have a snowball's and it's such a close race between Ken and Boris that every vote counts.
So, what's the second criterion for choosing? Damage limitation?
Franklin - Don't forget that the way the voting system works, you can vote for Paddick or anyone else as your first vote, and then use your second vote for Ken/Boris. As you said, every vote counts. If nobody gets a majority, all second votes cast for either of the top two contenders are added to their first vote tallies.
So you can sort of have your cake and eat it, as in vote for whoever you want first choice and then Ken/Boris 2nd choice, knowing your vote won't be wasted. But yeah, you're right, you do pretty much have to decide between Boris and Ken - a situation for which the phrase 'stuck between a rock and a hard place' was invented...
If we wake up tomorrow to find the Bullingdon Club Bigot has won can we declare independance for Greenwich? The Isle of Dogs tried it in 1970:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/2004/may/12/guardianobituaries.politics
What an incredible looking guy. My problem would be where would we find a Ted Johns for Greenwich? Chris Roberts ain't gonna cut it...
We could have the winner of the "Best Dressed Toad" competition as our leader of independent Greenwich surely!
sigh... Four more years of Ken, then...
If it were the winner of the "Worst Dressed Koala on a Bad Hair Day", Boris would be in with a real chance.
Screaming Lord Sutch, now there was a guy who had some cutting edge policies........
Ahhh, those were the days - when Real Men tackled the Real Problems that London was Facing, usually from behind.
"Vote for insanity. You know it makes sense."
Boris, in one of his many interviews, chose Greenwich as his favorite part of London.
So surely even you, Phantom, can't question his judgement. Brian Paddick, by the way chose, Brixton!
I know, that bastard Paddick, and he was born in Balham and all.
Boris first answered "New York", but they wouldn't let him have that, so then he tried Henley - "it is on the Thames, that makes it part of London, right? Just like Oxford." Greenwich was then the only bit of London he could remember, other than Westminster, which wouldn't go down too well with the voters, and Kensington & Chelsea - and they have been Boris-blacklisted ever since they voted in that poof Portillo.
Infact Franklin it was Portillo that was ousted in Southgate by Stephen Twigg who has made no secret of being a good freind of Dorothy's. Also it was the first time the seat had become Labour.
I fail to see why London needs a mayor at all. I'm sure there are far better things to spend the money on than Lee Jasper and Ken's other cronies. We could spend it on amenities for Londoners, for example. Or is that too radical an idea?
I did laugh when I got the letter from Nick Raynsford asking me to support two Labour candidates - some guy for the Assembly, and Ken for mayor. The rest of the letter went on about why this other guy deserved my support and how great he was. Raynsford kept schtum on the subject of Ken! Perhaps he too has realised the guy's a disaster-zone and the support is lip-service only.
By the way, the results of the London Assembly elections are due at 4pm tomorrow, with the mayoral election results due at 8pm.I can't see that there'll be much to celebrate, whoever wins.
If London wakes up to Boris as mayor (well, not wakes up exactly, if the results aren't due until 8pm) then it will get just what it deserves. We will no longer be able to laugh at the US for voting in Bush..twice! We will become a global laughing stock, we can pretty much kiss goodbye to the Olympics being a success and as for fostering a spirit of multi-cultural integration? Hmmmm. While I firmly believe the current Tory party is a wolf in sheep's clothing, it is even more apparent that Boris is an idiot in idiot's clothing.
It's like a Southgate-K&C-Brixton revolving-Dorothy-daisy-chain, ain't it?
Anyway, I thought Portillo was outed in The Sun, not Southgate?
Regardless, Benedict, I do not appreciate your dirty talkin' slurs on all those Labour "seats". It's a free country,they can stick whomever they want into their seats.
PS. Kirsty - that's what you get for reading Nick's letters.
So, M32, you're another Official Monster Raving Loony Party supporter then? With three of us here, we should set up a local branch. Hell, we could take over the Party - we've already doubled its membership.
Sorry Franklin, Ken gets my vote as he always has. To be honest, I would prefer a two term limit (given the experience of Thatcher's and Blair's megalomania in their third terms) but I still think he is the best option. Boris would screw everything up and undo a lot of the good work Ken has, undeniably, done for London. The cronyism is a bit depressing, if true, but... well, it all comes back to the alternative being Boris!
Actually, thinking about it Thatcher's megalomania was apaprent in all her terms, it just got worse in the third one :-)
Totally agree Ken's done a lot of good. Unfortunately, he's also done a lot of harm.
His administration is bloated: GLA taxes have risen dramatically faster than Borough or national taxes. His policy wonks have a distinct eau de corruption all over them. He's singularly failed to implement a coherent planning policy, and has allowed developers to run roughshod over local concerns. He has a permanent stiffy for tall buildings (my personal bug-bear. The tall buildings, not Ken's stiffy). A long delay to the start of public transport modernisation. Bendy buses. And a love of newts.
How much worse can Boris be to, and for, London?
You've gotta luv the newts ,man!
They could form a coalition with the TOG party (Toads Of Greenwich).
Do you remmeber when Malcolm Hardee stood for Greenwich MP - Charlton 'back to the valley' and refloat the Cutty Sark were his policies - he got my vote
"a lot of the good work Ken has, undeniably, done for London."
Undeniably? You're 'avin' a larf. As is Livingstone, at taxpayers' expense.
Well, I know that general opinion is that a vote not for Boris/Ken somewhere on your ballot paper is a vote wasted, but it still seems to me that voting for either of them is also a vote wasted. Sign me up for monster raving loonies, or free Greenwich, or whatever else!
btw, I think that comparing the mayor of London to the President of the USA is stretching credibility. I don't think there'd be any danger of anyone, even the most stupid politician, putting Boris (or Ken) up for PM.
And yeah, I normally shove Nick Raynsford's missives straight in the blue-top wheelie but I was intrigued by the apparent show of support for Ken!
Having moved to Greenwich from Brixton and being a resident of that place during the reign of Mr Paddick, I can only say that I didn't notice any of his Policing policies making a blind bit of difference in the Borough. We still had dealers openly selling their 'goods' in the streets to kids, and when you called the police to report it all you got was an answering machine thanking you for your call!!! Now call me old Fashioned but I wouldn't like to give him the chance of doing the same thing to the whole of the city.....
And as for Boris, well, how many advisers do you think it would take him to make a decision? marginally more than Ken???? LOL
By The Way, anyone know of a ship I could charter for the mass exodus from the City if Boris wins???? It would have to be a big one.
From the City? As in, the City of London, the throbbing financial heart of the wild beastie? Why on earth would the City object to a Boris mayoralty? Perhaps I'm missing something, but I thought he was a Tory (well, sort of anyway...)?
I stand corrected. I was thinking of the Boroughs not the City Of London. I agree, if Boris does become Mayor (Shudder) he would make it his job to increase the wealth of the wealthiest, himself included. Mind you I don't see either of the others making my life any more financially solvent. I'm still smarting from the 10p tax fiasco. I still lose even with the panic 'safety nets'.
The City seems to have endorsed ken as he oppposed the stupid tax rules on non doms etc. He also allows tall buildings which suit larger firms looking to locate in London.
Arrrggghh. Only 4.5 hours left to make up my mind and still no closer to a decision.
There's a truly pathetic picture of Ken looking like a sexually deviant, Depression-era hobo on the front page of the FT today, which is not helping his case.
I'll cry if this comes down to a coin toss.
Keep repeating: "The lesser of two weevils, the lesser of two weevils..."
PS. Fat Cat - not in my experience. It would be an odd day indeed if the City chose Red Ken over Old Etonian Boris. Ken's stance on non-doms is irrelevant, as he doesn't make national tax policy, and I don't see Boris objecting to tall buildings. If he did, I'd probably be less conflicted...
Franklin, the City isnt run by Brits (Etonians or otherwise) any more. They prefer the devil they know as per the story in the FT earlier in the week. The Mayor's view on Non Dom tax is relevant as the Mayor acts as a voice for London so would speak out against perceived adverse policies.
Hmmm, not convinced Fat Cat. In my experience, whether Brits, Americans, Chinese or Timbuctoonians, City types oppose Ken's expansionary fiscal stance, spit blood at any mention of the congestion charge, and would go to bed with "Dave" the Old Etonian in a heartbeat.
So, that's at least one tick in Ken's pro column...
C'mon Franklin vote for thr Independent guy, I have no idea what he stands for but TIME is running out!!!!!
Nothing, and I mean nothing would get me to vote for that bumbling, baffoon Boris. Least of all a man that refers to black people as cannibals, with water melon smiles and picanninies; and his views on homosexuality leave something to be desired. It would be like having Prince Philip at the helm of London. This a vibrant multicultural city and Boris should bog off back to Henley. I will vote for Ken, Paddick or Green if prevents that man getting his grubby Etonian mitts on London!
Who is the Independent guy? I need to google him quick.
I can already see what's going to happen: I'm going to be the last guy at the polling station tonight, with the cleaning lady sweeping up around me, and I'm going to have to borrow a 10p coin from her to make my choice.
Hmmm. On my way home tonight I'll have to see whom the paper of record - LondonLite - has endorsed...
PS. LGM- if you really hate Bumblebee Boris that much, ya' pretty much have to vote for Ken. Put the Indpendent guy second choice.
Will do Franklin - by the way isn't London Lite an Evening Standard 'spin-off' and have been running a bias campaign supporting the blonde one ;-)
Will you lot STFU!!!
Sorry you're acronym is lost on me!
scared of chives there's no need to be offensive - if you don't like it don't read it!
You're right - it was rude, sorry...
I'll shut-up.
Hey Franklin, the dudes name is Winston McKenzie.
SoC , bad day at the booth?
Wow, SoC.
The voices! The voices! I can't stop the voices!
And then I closed my eyes, doctor, and they all mysteriously fell silent...
LGM, surely you're not implying that the Standard has a political bent to it?
Anyhoo, I scanned both LondonLite and the LondonPaper thoroughly, and found no political guidance there. Surprising, really.
But! I think I have made up my mind. And it's thanks in part to LGM reminding me of The Bumble B's nuanced yet compassionate views on race and The Gays.
I knew I'd find enlightenment here! Thanks guys!
Franklin - happy to help.
I know I went into rant mode about Bumble B (I like it). I had an awful nights sleep worrying about the final result. Ho hum I've made my mark now...
I think 'our own' Gilligan has blown away any remaining sympathy he may have had by waging his ridiculous campaign against Ken in the Standard. I was wavering, but have voted for Ken mainly as I have a big problem with the Standard trying to engineer the result. I suppose it shouldn't be a surprise from that organ, but Gilligan?..what an idiot.
So Noel - you voted for Ken just to spite a fat, egotistical, opinionated journo on a local rant rag?
Democracy in action!
Bad news for all Bumble B haters out there: the commentariat seems pretty unanimous in forecasting Ken's defeat.
Without prejudging (or jinxing) the outcome, if the commentariat is right and Boris does with the mayoralty, I wonder what this will really mean for London, and for Greenwich in particular.
If Boris loves Greenwich as much as he claims, perhaps he'll use his statutory powers to rein in the Hospital Trust? Slap caps on the rent rises in the market to protect and promote our local artisan shops? Use his extensive planning powers to prevent any further inappropriate development in or around the centre of Greenwich?
And for London as a whole: will a Boris mayoralty - if it does happen - weaken the investment programme for TfL's modernisation? Stoke racial tensions? Will we see a major drive toward 'deregulation' of an already poorly regulated system?
What will a Boris premiership really mean, for London and for Greenwich?
it ain't over until the fat lady sings. I shall live in hope. If I see Andrew Gilligan's smug face ambling down the Vale I shall give him a few choice words. Shame on you Mr. Gilligan!
Are they using 3 year olds to count the votes, they are taking yonks!
They are using "Kom-pyoot-ers", apparently.
It would appear that they didn't anticipate how frequently the gerbils they have powering their ZX-84s needed to take breaks...
I reckon Ken is going to demand a Mugabe style recount
Or even worse - W's hanging chads.
Cod save us!
Dazza, are you going to charter your ship now Boris is in? If so will this will mean we can all get on the train at Maze Hill in the morning once all these new flats are built?!
Oh come on Anon! If you're going to gloat, you should at least let us all know who you are!
**Ken 2012**
(just kidding)
Amazing.
I am actually listening to an i/v with The Bumble B as the newly elected Mayor of London.
Scary? Or refreshing?
Phantom, do we need an open letter to the New Mayor about the priorities of the residents of Greenwich for the next four years?
How utterly depressing
This post has been removed by the author.
Stunned! It's like being in some horrible nightmare from which I'll wake in four years time, when Boris accidentally sets fire to his hair with the Olympic torch :-(
A shameless plug - I feel like I'm on Start the Week - and no doubt useless anyway, as I can't imagine that any commenters here will come back to this discussion (except for the poor Phantom, who will be email-notified of this impertinence), but I've made an amateurish attempt to continue the thread (which I personally believe to be important) next door at:
http://greenwich-provocateur.blogspot.com/
So Kirsty, Tom, M32, Badger, Fat Cat, LGM, Noel and of course Anon (x3?), if you are so inclined, please feel free to take a look and continue to weigh in with your stimulating views.
SoC, you're welcome too. But no more gun-waving craziness, OK?
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