A special person
by Jura Watchmaker, 2 May 2008
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Tessa Jowell on Kenneth Livingstone:
“If Ken hasn’t won, London has lost someone very special.”
How many ways can this be interpreted?
And what about the elections as a whole?
Source: BBC Radio 4 PM programme
Friday 2 May 2008 at 18:45
The office of mayor should be abolished - it panders to the cult of personality. Both Johnson and Livingstone are examples of the kind of shameless opportunist the position attracts.
Labour gained more seats here in Oxford than anywhere else, a bit of local resiliance, unlike the surrender to Derek Conway sympathisers on North Tyneside.
Friday 2 May 2008 at 19:33
She’s too polite. Truth is, if Ken hasn’t won, London’s fucked.
Friday 2 May 2008 at 20:16
If that were true, Greg, Will and Hak would be cheering Johnson to the rafters.
Friday 2 May 2008 at 20:28
It’s the ‘we’re the centre of the universe’ and ‘barbarians beyond Watford’ schtick I object to.
Having said that, I’m more upset about the results in the North.
Friday 2 May 2008 at 21:22
What do you mean? Were NOT the centre of the universe?
Friday 2 May 2008 at 21:23
Tony Benn explains Labour’s downfall:
Friday 2 May 2008 at 22:17
I’ve been keeping track of the fascists here:
http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/2008_HOPE_not_hate_campaign_blog
In city and east:
The BNP’s Robert Bailey has come fourth with 9.62%. The BNP actually came ahead of the Liberal Democrats but behind Respect
So, 10% of people who voted in city and east are utter cunts.
Friday 2 May 2008 at 22:28
SteveF - the BNP cross the threshold on 5% of the vote across London? How does the proportional element of the vote actually work?
On BBC TV news there has just been a shot of Gordon Brown out on the stump. A woman opens her door to find Brown on the step. The PM shakes the woman’s hand, says how delighted he is to meet her, and then strides across the threshold. Only then does Brown ask if it’s OK to come in. That pretty much sums up his style of government. The man has no people skills whatsoever.
Friday 2 May 2008 at 22:32
Friday 2 May 2008 at 22:47
I think it just works as a straight percentage of the total vote. There’s some projections here based on total turn out and city wide BNP votes:
http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/london/The_BNP_threat_in_London
96k is 5% of 1.9m. I’m not entirely sure how the 5% is figured as the threshold though.
According to one of the rumours on the blog, one journo says they will get 5%. Another says 7%, which apparently brings them close to having two seats (8.5%). Apart from their general twatish racism, they are also utterly incompetent and thick (see Searchlight and Private Eye exposes).
My impession though, is that they haven’t done so well around the country.
Friday 2 May 2008 at 22:47
Livingstone’s campaign manager has effectively conceded defeat, and Brian Paddick has revealed that his second preference vote went to Lindsey German. Dave Hill cannot get his head around that one, and neither can I. Comment is Deranged could be lively for the next few days, but don’t expect me to report on it.
Friday 2 May 2008 at 22:58
Lindsey German? Eh.
I retired from a hard days slog in the office to Whetherspoons on the Mile End Road (yes, I know). Lots of her campaign team were on the table next to me. Seemed like an earnest bunch.
Friday 2 May 2008 at 23:14
Paddick is a fool - he should have cast for the lovely Sian Berry.
The Greens should hold on to their seats. It looks as if the BNP may take an Assembly seat or two at the expense of UKIP. Unfortunately sectarian politics have blossomed under Livingstone’s rule.
Friday 2 May 2008 at 23:20
So, 10% of people who voted in city and east are utter cunts.
If RESPECT did better than the BNP’s 9.6%, that’s at least 20% who’re utter cunts.
SteveF - the BNP cross the threshold on 5% of the vote across London? How does the proportional element of the vote actually work?
There are two ballots to select the 25 members of the London Assembly - one for your constituency (with named individuals on the ballot), one for London at large (with just parties on the ballot). So, for me, I had a vote for the representative for Lambeth and Southwark (the constituency I live in) and a vote for London as a whole.
The results of the first ballot are counted to select a constituency member on an first-past-the-post basis (whichever candidate wins the most votes).
The results of the second ballot are then counted, and somebody works out what the total number of seats should be for each party, on a proportional basis. The number of seats already allocated by the Constituency ballot are deducted from this, and the top-up seats allocated accordingly.
So, say there were 20 Assembly seats in total, 10 constituency seats and 10 top-up seats (there aren’t, but say there are). On the firat ballot, where the winner is decided by FPP, the 10 constituency seats divide equally between Labour and the Tories. On the second ballot, 40% of Londoners vote Tory, 40% vote Labour and 20% vote Lib Dem - so, of the 20 seats in total, 8 should be Tory, 8 should be Labour and 4 should be Lib Dem. Since the Tories and Labour both have 5 seats each already, they get 3 more, while the Lib Dems get 4.
It’s a deeply fucked-up system, IMO.
Anyway, for the BNP to get a seat, they would have to win a plurality of votes in the first ballot in one of the constituencies (and would then represent that constituency), or 5% of the votes in the second ballot across the whole of London (and would get an at large seat).
Friday 2 May 2008 at 23:22
Unfortunately sectarian politics have blossomed under Livingstone’s rule.
But racist attacks have fallen.
Friday 2 May 2008 at 23:32
The Greens did poorly outside the centre of the known universe, gaining just five seats. If they carry on like this the BNP will overtake their national vote come the next general election.
The green parties of the UK never managed to shake off their early association with haute-bourgeois wadicalism and eco-fascism. People criticise Bündnis 90/Die Grünen for the realo vs fundi division, but the German greens were always a more serious and credible force than their British cousins.
Friday 2 May 2008 at 23:42
“Labour gained more seats here in Oxford than anywhere else, a bit of local resiliance, unlike the surrender to Derek Conway sympathisers on North Tyneside.”
didn’t see you campaigning for labour in north tyneside mate.
Friday 2 May 2008 at 23:51
The green parties of the UK never managed to shake off their early association with haute-bourgeois wadicalism and eco-fascism. People criticise Bündnis 90/Die Grünen for the realo vs fundi division, but the German greens were always a more serious and credible force than their British cousins.
It’s not just that. I was only a kid, but I remember how big a splash the Greens made in the mid-to-late-80s. But the three main parties noticed this, and immediately started making the right noises, appointing environment spokesman, adopting eco-friendly policies. This neutralised the Greens very quickly. That didn’t happen in many other countries, where the traditional parties took a long time to adjust.
Friday 2 May 2008 at 23:55
Boris Johnson is the Mayor-elect of Londinium.
I neither celebrate nor commiserate. But I am not looking forward to the wailing and gnashing of teeth that will soon emanate from the orifices and organs of the metropolitan chatterati.
Friday 2 May 2008 at 23:58
[gregg - as is his habit from time-to-time is being silly in this deposit –now cleansed]
Saturday 3 May 2008 at 0:08
Gregg - It is just that, and for the reason you give. The reason why Bündnis 90/Die Grünen and other green parties in continental Europe have been successful is that they were always more than environmental lobby groups. And as a result the environmental debate in those countries is more mature than it is here.
Saturday 3 May 2008 at 1:20
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7380947.stm
Saturday 3 May 2008 at 1:34
“The green parties of the UK never managed to shake off their early association with haute-bourgeois wadicalism and eco-fascism. People criticise Bündnis 90/Die Grünen for the realo vs fundi division, but the German greens were always a more serious and credible force than their British cousins.”
Yeah, we talked about nothing else for months on end in our local.
Saturday 3 May 2008 at 1:45
Have HP Sauce come out and approved the result yet? Cockahoop they must be now that a Tory has gained the reins of power with a massive budget at his disposal and that. Even better for them that a Tory government is probably on the horizon. Hurrah for the blackshirts! And that.
Filthy little fifth columnist bastards.
Saturday 3 May 2008 at 12:04
I am cheering myself up this morning by thinking of former MiGs clearing their desks at the GLA and heading off to sign on the “Ole King Cole”, as they say in that London.
Saturday 3 May 2008 at 12:10
Oh and Galloway - find silver linings where you can
Saturday 3 May 2008 at 13:03
[some copy and paste job by the same hpsaucevermin who visited here last night]
Sunday 4 May 2008 at 1:22
Sunday 4 May 2008 at 1:27
Monday 5 May 2008 at 10:43
Boris Johnson is in your London, mayoring your capital.