13 Comments

• Dave Page 19th Apr '12 - 6:12pm

  We really need to get the anti-Boris vote who are disgusted with Ken to vote Paddick 1, Livingstone 2 on their ballots. Doesn’t help that the Green candidate is operating as a Labour front, so we’re likely to see a lot of Labour votes going there, but there’s enough distaste for both the front runners here that we should be able to build upon.

  If Ken keeps going this way, we might see Brian come second to Boris in the election…

• Chris 19th Apr '12 - 7:34pm

  “If Ken keeps going this way, we might see Brian come second to Boris in the election…”

  Considering that the latest opinion poll places Livingstone at 35% and Paddick at 11%, one can only marvel at comments like this.

• Alex Macfie 19th Apr '12 - 7:35pm

  I don’t think we should be making any recommendations for 2nd preference. Personally I am more anti-Ken than anti-Boris and shall use my 2nd preference accordingly. But if we start making recommendations as a party then we make it look like Brian is not a serious contender.

• Steve Way 19th Apr '12 - 8:09pm

  No surprise here the two of them are known not to get on. He would lose the Labour Whip if he recommended another candidate though…

• Alex Macfie 19th Apr '12 - 8:12pm

  So why has Ken not lost the Labour whip for backing that Islamist in Tower Hamlets?

• Alex Macfie 19th Apr '12 - 8:13pm

  or rather, why has he not been expelled (since he has no whip… silly me)

• Geoffrey Payne 19th Apr '12 - 8:25pm

  This looks like a complete non-story to me. Why should anyone care?

• Dave Page 19th Apr '12 - 9:03pm

  Chris, I don’t think Brian should make a blanket recommendation for the other preference, like Jenny and Ken have done – but we should try to point out to those disgusted with Ken and opposed to Boris that they can safely vote Brian as their first preference without worrying about letting Boris in, by putting Ken as second pref.

• Foregone Conclusion 19th Apr '12 - 9:13pm

  @Chris,

  We’re on 11%? Well, that’s five points better than I thought. Obviously we are at the beginning of PADDICKMANIA!!!

  (Well, why not? It’s no more ludicrous than its predecessor…)

• Daniel Henry 19th Apr '12 - 10:38pm

  Dave was clearly suggesting that we could tempt Labour supporters who don’t like Ken to try Brian as their first pref while still being able to use their second pref on Ken as a back up.

• Chris 19th Apr '12 - 10:59pm

  “Dave was clearly suggesting that we could tempt Labour supporters who don’t like Ken to try Brian as their first pref while still being able to use their second pref on Ken as a back up.”

  Well, obviously that wasn’t the part of his comment I was disagreeing with.

  I did quote the bit I was referring to, to make it specially easy (as I thought!) for people to understand.

• Christian De Feo 19th Apr '12 - 11:49pm

  Brian is probably too qualified and not sufficiently preposterous to be London Mayor. Look at what we have: a self-styled tribune of the people who is as aggressive about protecting his income as any City commodities trader, and a buffoon who found his true calling in hosting “Have I Got News for You”. Sound and fury signifying nothing, least of all, progress.

• Jayne Mansfield 24th Apr '12 - 1:02pm

  Did Sir Alan share his reasons for why we should not vote for Ken Livingstone?
  If not, why not? Are we expected to unquestionably accept his every word like some ambitious wannabee apprentice s.