London Mayor Election: Who's the best candidate?

Courage —

Forum

You — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 - 18:19

[quote=Ya'qub][quote=You]I vote Boris. What's the worst that could happen?[/quote]

Thank God you don't get to vote in the real thing.[/quote]

I am [i]almost[/i] offended. (Would it be better to vote for Richard Barnbrook? or Sian Berry? the latter must have a heart attack when viewing the pollution figures!)

On a more serious note, are any of these people better or worse than the other? Not politics wise, but for Muslims? (only asking as this is supposed to be an islamic site, and if one of them has "issues", I guess they should be highlighted).

Ya'qub — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 - 18:43

YES!!

Ken Livingstone as constantly been a champion of Muslims. Ever since he was my MP in Brent East.

He speaks out [b]for[/b] Muslims on many issues, as well as [b]to[/b] Muslims.

Boris has just bought up his distant Muslim ancestry from Russia/Turkey to gain votes. He hasn't supported Muslims publicly over any issue and, although he hasn't been publicly 'negative' about Islam either, I can only suppose he is hiding nasty, intolerant views because he has let some of these slip by making racist 'jokes' about Black people.

Plus the Evening Standard is supporting him, which is pretty unforgivable.

Ken is by no means perfect, he has made plenty of mistakes, but at least he is a tolerant, left-wing politician who does not pander to what Labour 'tell him' to do or say.

Ya'qub — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 - 12:11

[quote=Courage]Who would I vote for? Either Ken or Brian. I might make Ken my second choice or vice versa.[/quote]

A vote for Brian is the same as a vote for Boris!

It's gonna be really close and I think all the liberal supporters have to unite to beat Johnson.

Courage — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 - 14:14

But you're a lucky Londoner! You're system is the preferencial system, not the first past the post system. You can vote for your first and second preference. But the BBC claimed that Boris was ahead of Ken, so maybe we have to uite.

Joie de Vivre — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 - 15:57

[quote=Ya'qub]It's gonna be really close and I think all the liberal supporters have to unite to beat Johnson.[/quote]

I don't think you'll find a more liberal candidate by any sensible definition. How are you defining liberal?

Ya'qub — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 - 10:00

[quote=Courage][quote=Joie de Vivre]Who voted BNP?[/quote]
Something tells me that it was you. Yeah, like when they steal the cookie and say "Hey who stole the cookie?"[/quote]

The best one is when you're in a crowded lift and say "what's that smell?"

Joie de Vivre — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 - 18:16

Boris is great, and I doubt very strongly that he's a racist. Ken Linvingstone is a mealy-mouthed toad who has betrayed Londoners time and again on taxes and transport and his only great acheivement is to turn his office into a publicity machine at the taxpayer's expense.

Ya'qub — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 - 18:20

[quote=Joie de Vivre]Boris is great, and I doubt very strongly that he's a racist. Ken Linvingstone is a mealy-mouthed toad who has betrayed Londoners time and again on taxes and transport and his only great acheivement is to turn his office into a publicity machine at the taxpayer's expense.[/quote]

What about Oystercard? Congestion charges? Olympics? Gherkin? Support for ALL minority groups? Bendy buses?

Boris is shady, he has this 'buffoon' act but really he is cunning.

If he does get in, it won't get worse than it already is, it just won't get any better either.

Joie de Vivre — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 - 18:28

[quote=Ya'qub][quote=Joie de Vivre]Boris is great, and I doubt very strongly that he's a racist. Ken Linvingstone is a mealy-mouthed toad who has betrayed Londoners time and again on taxes and transport and his only great acheivement is to turn his office into a publicity machine at the taxpayer's expense.[/quote]

What about Oystercard? Congestion charges? Olympics? Gherkin? Support for ALL minority groups? Bendy buses?

Boris is shady, he has this 'buffoon' act but really he is cunning.

If he does get in, it won't get worse than it already is, it just won't get any better either.[/quote]
Oystercard is a good idea, means you can't hide, congestion charge is a thoroughly elitist traffic control, and traffic in town remains a nightmare, he didn't win the Olympics or design the Gherkin, nor did he invent support for minority groups - in fact I can't see how he can possibly take any credit for that, and I got hit by a bendy bus. Bendy buses are a rubbish idea. How Ken can claim credit for these things would be a mystery if not for the fact I've even noticed his name on all the standard Tube signs. So I guess he's an autocrat who can say what he likes and you'll be happy. How are you supporting your smear btw, and what makes you such a passionate Livingstone fan? Me, I hate him, I've been stung too many times by rising council tax and outrageous fines when I was in the right, and appalled by his tacky self-promoting magazine distributed to every home in London at the taxpayers' expense.

You — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 - 18:27

[quote=Ya'qub]Congestion charges?[/quote]

Not a londoner, but would not count that as a positive. It is just a money making scheme. The government is really taking the motorist to the cleaners.

(from the petrol price of around £1+ per litre, I will assume over 60% still goes to the government. Even if petrol prices double, those are so small in the overall fuel price, they would add like 10p to the price of fuel - scandalous. And I do not even drive, or have a licence!)

(don't know about the others. Oyster card?)