an uphill struggle,” admits Shaun Bailey, the Conservative candidate for mayor of London. A poll in May put Mr Bailey 20 points behind the Labour incumbent, Sadiq Khan, who is up for re-election next May. Mr Bailey, a 48-year-old member of the London Assembly who could pass for two decades younger, has the task of turning the contest around. If the polls are right, by the end of the campaign he may start to look his age.
Although Mr Khan enjoys an imposing lead, he is beatable. Londoners like his punchy opposition to Brexit and Donald Trump. But when it comes to policy the mayor’s record is threadbare. Mr Khan has won lots of funding for house-building, but this will take years to have an effect. Big transport projects such as Crossrail have fallen behind on his watch. Crime is unignorable, following a rise in stabbings. In July Mr Khan’s approval rating fell to -3, its lowest-ever level.
Unlike cities such as Liverpool and Manchester, which have long been Tory-free zones, London has historically been fairly balanced . Election results in the capital used to tally with the rest of the country, says Tony Travers of the London School of Economics. That changed under Tony Blair’s government as Labour started to cement control, snatching inner-London seats from the Conservatives and colouring the capital red from the inside out.
This creates a strong headwind for Mr Bailey. Building an independent London-Conservative brand that appeals to the capital’s liberal population will not be easy—particularly given some of his past comments, including that multiculturalism could turn Britain into a “crime-riddled cesspool”. Scottish Tories have managed to distinguish themselves from the Westminster lot under their star leader, Ruth Davidson. Mr Bailey’s lower profile makes that harder.
There is another way of looking at London. Four in ten people there voted Leave, like Mr Bailey. The city backed a Tory mayor as recently as 2012. And there are plenty of voters in the capital for whom Mr Khan’s “London is open” message grates. Whether they are enough for an election-winning coalition is another matter."Capital fright"
All because the majority of the population in London are virtue signalling, insecure wannabes with no real interest in the long term destiny of the city
Looking this guys history & he's totally under skilled for the job with previous community youth, basically black kids issues under his belt then pushed by the tories as a MP for diversity reasons ? Not up to the job won't get my vote as Londons more than just black problems!
They were nasty in the last mayoral election but they will throw everything to Khan this time and will be even nastier to win. I am black but that lad won’t get a single vote in my household. THEY DON’T CARE ABOUT THE POOR.
🙄
and that's 21 too many
70% of London residents are Non Resident Aliens! That means there’s no consistency.
Speak for yourself, we have had a problem with London throughout my life as each government centralises power just a little bit more. If you want to see the roots of Brexit look at the way the provinces are condescended to and still expected to pay.
The Labour govts let so many foreigners unto the UK and cities that the ENGISH are now being overun. At least BREXIT should stop that until Labour get in again to continue to destroy
Amazing Fake News. John Cleese was right. London is no longer English. 'They' hate the rest of the nation. Nice spin Fakers.
Tories are toxic
Funny how reactionary parties hate a big city but somehow wouldn’t live anywhere else.
We’ve had a London problem since 2016. It started with Zac, made worse by Brexit and May.
It’s probably the Melanoma
London has gone. Let the progressives live in a pig sty and pay for the privilege of doing so
London has changed drastically over the past few decades. Original Brits are now the minority there and immigrants and their descendants the majority. And this new majority votes Left.
Please save hongkong.People are dying under police army brutal their weapon.
London has changed drastically over the past few decades. Original Brits are now the minority there and minorities vote Left, just like in the USA.
Fortunately for SadiqKhan , ShaunBaileyUK is extremely beatable. No contest.
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