As is depressingly normal with election campaigns the policies being offered by our mayoral candidates are receiving far less media coverage than other matters, in this case their finances, personalities and those moments when their emotions overwhelm them. This week, proposals for making use of City Hall's powers were published in a flurry by the most prominent contenders. They deserve your careful scrutiny. If you're like me, they'll make you want to cast your various votes in the London elections for more than one party - happily, an option the system allows.
It's clear from the opinion polls that only Boris Johnson or Ken Livingstone can win the race for mayor. This means that if you want to make a difference to the result you should cast one of the two votes you have under the supplementary vote system - a first preference and a second - for Boris or for Ken, depending on which you like most (or dislike least) and neither for the one like least (or dislike most). I'll certainly be giving one of my two votes to Ken and neither to Boris. That is because I much prefer his policies in two key areas of mayoral power - transport and housing - and also because, unlike Boris, he would put up strong resistance to the worst effects of national government policy on London.
But what if you prefer the policies of Jenny Jones of the Green Party, Brian Paddick of the Lib Dems or anyone else to those of either Boris or Ken and would like to vote accordingly? Here's where the voting system comes to your aid. You can give your first preference to your favourite candidate and still have an effect on the Boris-Ken contest with your second preference. You can also help the party whose policies you like best by how you vote for London Assembly members. The Greens, Lib Dems and other, smaller, parties have won Assembly seats in the past thanks to the "London-wide" section of the election. This time, the Greens are hoping to increase their number from two, while the Lib Dems are fighting to retain to their present three.
I haven't fully settled yet on how I'll cast my votes, thoiugh a first mayoral preference for Jones, a second for Livingstone and a London-wide vote for the Lib Dems is a definite possibility. Choices, choices, choices. That's democracy.
The Guardian on London
If you don't want Boris, you have to vote for Ken
How Ken Livingstone fares in the battle of the manifestos
Boris Johnson v Ken Livingstone: who is right about council tax savings?
Ken Livingstone v Boris Johnson: who is right on police numbers?
Can London afford Ken Livingstone's plan to cut fares?
Mayoral campaign broadcast that made Ken Livingstone cry - video
The problem with Ken Livingstone's tears
Anti-gay adverts pulled from bus campaign by Boris Johnson
London mayoral election 2012: get the key data you need
London's claimant count: get the data by local authority
The poverty and deprivation map of London
London blogosphere
Diamond Geezer clarifies the mayoral election choice:
There is a serious risk that Candidate A will win the Mayoral Election. And that would be awful. I cannot believe that so many Londoners are willing to give their vote to this charlatan. He's nothing but an idiot, a slimy self-interested caricature, out of touch with the wider world. His views on the major issues of the day are little short of laughable, and yet somehow he commands the devotion of millions.
As for Candidate B...read on.
Coming up
More election coverage...
Apology
I'm sorry you've not received an edition of Metropolitan Lines for the past two weeks. In the first case this was due to my attended a family funeral in Ireland and in the second because of the Easter break. Regular weekly service is now resumed. Thanks.
