London Mayor Election

[Disenfrancised]

Boris got it. My reaction: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mine was a more muted 'Really London? That guy?', on the other hand there are several positive upsides IMO:

1) This the now the highest Tory executive position in the country, if Boris gaffes it up then that'll come back and bite them in a general.
2) Because of 1 the conservatives will watch him like a hawk and they will put their best people and efforts into running london (and will probably drift to the centre), so we could get some good with their bad ideas.
3) The Lib dems had a good showing, and either of the major parties will need to work with the minors to get stuff done.
4) The Greens have beaten the BNP to the number 4 slot.
5) Labour are going to kick their arse in gear national to overcome this and the council stuff (if that will result in good things remains to be seen, but things will be done).

 

[ComradeDavo]

Mine was a more muted 'Really London? That guy?', on the other hand there are several positive upsides IMO:

1) This the now the highest Tory executive position in the country, if Boris gaffes it up then that'll come back and bite them in a general.
2) Because of 1 the conservatives will watch him like a hawk and they will put their best people and efforts into running london (and will probably drift to the centre), so we could get some good with their bad ideas.
3) The Lib dems had a good showing, and either of the major parties will need to work with the minors to get stuff done.
4) The Greens have beaten the BNP to the number 4 slot.
5) Labour are going to kick their arse in gear national to overcome this and the council stuff (if that will result in good things remains to be seen, but things will be done).

Yeahj I really do hope Boris makes a big mistake somehow that damages the Tory party on a national level. Soemthing like the liverpool thing again!

 

[Wolfe Tone]

It's probably not the best thing for Londoners, but it's going to be hillarious for the rest of us

 

[Newbunkle]

I just want to know if you set up that poll so the three top parties were represented by their colours, or if its just a happy coincidence.

I'm glad BJ won though. He may be a bit of a tit, but at least he's on the right side of centre *badum-dum-che* I'll get me coat.

Edit: Another thing is, I wonder how the voting for the top 3 would look like if you separated it into English/Non-English sections.

 

[Joe Harker]

It's probably not the best thing for Londoners, but it's going to be hillarious for the rest of us

THis is Londons verison of Geroge Bush, the only difference is that Geroge Bush can destroy the planet, Johnson can destroy only about 26 square miles of it

 

[Mise]

Well, he's now in charge of the £16bn Crossrail project and the £12bn Olympics. He has plenty of opportunity to screw up.

 

[Joe Harker]

£16bn Crossrail project

Whats that?

 

[Mise]

Whats that?

It's basically a National Rail (as opposed to a London Underground) link between East and West London, that goes underground for part of the way. There's currently a North-South National Rail link (Thameslink) that runs services between, for example, Brighton and Bedford, via the City -- it'll be like that, except from East to West.

 

[ComradeDavo]

I just want to know if you set up that poll so the three top parties were represented by their colours, or if its just a happy coincidence.

I think I must have done it sub-consiously, it's not the first poll i've done for UK parties and i'm sure it won't be the last! Gotta rememebr to switch the greens next time though to get that right!

 

[PrinceOfLeigh]

Whats that?

20-odd billion on the Olympics wasn't nearly enough. What Londoners really need is to knock off 30 minutes of commute time and if that means an extra 16 Billion Quid and to hell with the rest of the country, so be it.

 

[GinandTonic]

20-odd billion on the Olympics wasn't nearly enough. What Londoners really need is to knock off 30 minutes of commute time and if that means an extra 16 Billion Quid and to hell with the rest of the country, so be it.

Glad you've finally seen the light.

 

[PrinceOfLeigh]

What's Good for London...

 

[Disenfrancised]

20-odd billion on the Olympics wasn't nearly enough. What Londoners really need is to knock off 30 minutes of commute time and if that means an extra 16 Billion Quid and to hell with the rest of the country, so be it.

Yeah coz those gits who live in/commute to London certainly don't pay taxes or suffer a massively crowded and falling apart transport infrastructure !

 

[PrinceOfLeigh]

Yeah coz those gits who live in/commute to London certainly don't pay taxes or suffer a massively crowded and falling apart transport infrastructure !

If they don't then they differ from the rest of the Country. If the London Trains are any more crowded than the ones heading into Manchester each morning then I can only presume that they are reminiscent of the "Cling-on-where-you-can" Trains seen in Bengal.

 

[MobBoss]

Ken. no great love for him but Boris is a cock

Well, if RRW doesnt like him then Boris is my man.

Oh. He won? Hehe. Way to go!

 

[Disenfrancised]

If they don't then they differ from the rest of the Country. If the London Trains are any more crowded than the ones heading into Manchester each morning then I can only presume that they are reminiscent of the "Cling-on-where-you-can" Trains seen in Bengal.

From my experience of commuter train travel (Liverpool and Bristol in addition to the big smoke) I'd say London wins on the falling apart metric (except the really new lines), having equivalent density at peak, and much longer peaks. If Manchester's system sucks then you damn well lobby for a new system there rather than complaining about London getting needed improvements. London and its commuter zone is quite large, and infrastructural improvements costly, hence the large price tag, but its hardly leeching as a few years down the the line London taxpayers money will probably be helping pay for improvements in Greater Manchester.

FYI I think the Olympics are bad and thus far ridiculously managed and a waste of money...but Londoners are hardly going to see any benefit either, and Crossrail was in the pipeline long before the London bid.

 

[PrinceOfLeigh]

If Manchester's system sucks then you damn well lobby for a new system there rather than complaining about London getting needed improvements.

"damn well"? Really? Firstly, calm down, and secondly, back your truck up. I don't need you to tell me what to lobby for.

Manchester's transport system like much of the UK I imagine, is in need of improvement. I bring up Manchester's trains simply because I've used them in the past and because a similar line linkage was requested there. It was on a smaller scale but still a fraction of the cost of Crossrail. Despite this, it was turned down by Darling, then transport minister, who pulled the rug on the project and turned his attention, yet again, to London.

London and its commuter zone is quite large, and infrastructural improvements costly, hence the large price tag, but its hardly leeching as a few years down the the line London taxpayers money will probably be helping pay for improvements in Greater Manchester.

Nobody said London was "leeching". I'm merely pointing out that London needs more fianace to spend on infrastructure because it has more commmuters, it has more commuters because more money has been spent on infra-structure than elsewhere.

 

[Mise]

It's mostly been businesses lobbying for Crossrail, as I understand it. Also, however you swing it, the investment is worth it - it'll bring more revenue to the country than the £16bn it cost to build it.

 

[philippe]

Well, if RRW doesnt like him then Boris is my man.

Oh. He won? Hehe. Way to go!

trust me, you wouldn't like him if he was running for president.

 

[ComradeDavo]

trust me, you wouldn't like him if he was running for president.

I dunno.....he voted Bush....