Forum Topic

Susan who?

How delightful to record that Sadiq Khan has beaten the no-hope Tory mayoral candidate to win a third term byby a comfortable margin, with a swing to Labour of over 3%.

Richard Carter ● 416d26 Comments

Mr RobinsonWhich faction of the Green Party will Ms Garbett be representing in the LA ?The tree hugging anti-herbicide Brighton tendency or the antisemitic Muslim Leeds tendency as represented by Councillor Mothin Ali ?He apparently had called Leeds University's Jewish chaplain, Zecharia Deutsch, a 'creep', a 'low-life' and an 'animal', and the Party faced fury  over their failure to suspend or investigate him. Ali had been allowed to stand for the Greens despite branding Israelis 'white supremacists' after the Hamas Palestinian terror group killed 1,200 people on October 7 last year. He was filmed shouting 'We will raise the voice of Palestine – Allahu Akbar!' after winning his council seat.The Green Party refused an enquiry into his behaviour as it said it 'believed in free speech'.This is what politics is reduced to when a fringe party with no basic ideology seeks election.They will say and do anything and present whatever façade and policies necessary in order to get elected.As Grouch Marx famously said - "These are my principles. If you don’t like them I have others".

John Hawkes ● 411d

Based on the poor performance of the council when the greens held power I wouldnt vote green  but she'll get in because of the student vote in the city.

Andy Pike ● 411d

Sadly, like Mr Sunak, Ms Hall seems to be in denial about the scale of her loss:https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/susan-hall-tory-london-mayoral-election-sadiq-khan-message-conservative-b1156457.htmlSurely, it should be a time for reflection on why their was such a strong rejection. I'm also puzzled by Ms Braverman's suggestion that the Conservative's should move further to the right (assuming ive understoodher renewed call to leave the ECHR, etc correctly? The increase in Labour, LibDem and Green councillors would seem to suggest that the electorate is veering more to the left? Although perhaps the terms left versus right wing are becoming a bit old fashioned - is it now woke versus libertarian?! (And I use the term woke in its original,  proper definition ...)

Michael Ixer ● 411d

Good news for Andy,"Sian Berry says she is quitting to spend ‘even more time’ in Brighton where she hopes to become an MP at the next general election"This means that the place will be taken by Zoe Garbett.I think Berry was quite good at the LA.She was elected on the London Wide list so not quite a big deal as the telegraph makes out imo.https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/05/07/green-london-assembly-member-sian-berry-resigns/

Ed Robinson ● 413d

May we also take a moment to congratulate Count Binface for adding brevity to the proceedings and getting more votes than Britain First.Interesting Times article today re Khan by Hugo Rifkind. It is behind a paywall unfortunately. but for those who can read it.https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sadiq-khans-secret-weapon-is-his-dullness-bgf3677j7

Maxine Campbell ● 414d

Mr CarterAre you sure Mr Khan will give equal attention to the concerns of all Londoners ?'Sadiq Khan has apologised for suggesting the Chief Rabbi's criticism of his call for a Gaza ceasefire was due to his Muslim-sounding name'.And will he concentrate his efforts on trying to reduce the number of incidents of knife crime that have increased by 20% in the last year and 51% during his incumbency ?Or will he expend more effort interfering in the Middle East conflict which I am sure he has no more understanding of or influence over than you or me.It is not surprising he won because now it seems that in any election people will vote according to their ethnic faction rather than on traditional Party policy differences.Note what 'appened 'oop north !https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13386393/Muslim-vote-list-demands-Keir-Starmer-Labour-Gaza-Palestine.html

John Hawkes ● 415d

Perhaps none of the above should be on every ballot paper?As for the term Labour supporters: a party does not own people because they voted for them in the past. The term should be former Labour supporters!

Ed Robinson ● 415d

As is Shaun Bailey.Conservatives losing one seat to Reform.The Green candidate didn't get in being fourth on the Green's London wide list. Perhaps more of an indication that it is  difficult to get candidates to stand.https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_London_Assembly_election

Ed Robinson ● 416d

Exactly Ed. I'm not ashamed to say that I wrote None of the Above on my ballot paper. Londoners deserve better.

Lucille Grant ● 416d

I don't think the Labour view was that Muslims should/would vote Labour. As I understand it some of those Muslims who are Labour supporters decided to vote for independent candidates or to stay at home because of Starmer's comments about the conflict in Gaza. (I assume Muslim Conservative and other party supporters voted as they normal would?)

Michael Ixer ● 416d

Don't worry! Susan Hall is still involved as she is still Leader of the Conservative Party on the London Assembly as she has been re-elected to that position in Thursday's election. She wasn't just a blow-in trying out for Mayor!

John Kettlekey ● 416d

SueLife is great down here and Paige is an absolute joy to spend time with xx

Andy Pike ● 416d

Lucky you Andy! Are you loving life in Brighton especially being so close to your little Granddaughter? xx

Sue Hammond ● 416d

Hello Richard,I agree, Susan Hall was not really up to it. A very poor choice.I never believe in polls anyway as they are always wrong.  But I did not expect the size of the margin by which Khan won.I cannot say I am ecstatic about Khan's win as, hand in heart, I do believe that third terms should not be allowed.  Based on the experience with Thatcher/Major, Blair/Brown, Cameron-Clegg/May/Johnson/Sunak, parties in power (in whichever post of power) for more than 8 years become too obsessed they are always right, hence chose to dictate and not govern.We shall have to wait and see.

Ivonne Holliday ● 416d

Thank the lord I no longer live in London with this guy as Mayor.Will be interesting to watch from afar his next 4 years .

Andy Pike ● 416d

The problem with ULEZ expansion, besides being a regressive tax, it did not hit very large numbers which in the eyes of many Labour supports on here - makes it OK. A very slippery precedent.There is still congestion in the former inner London ULEZ zone not to mention pollution. In short it has solved little and provided zero transport solutions.As for dirty politics let's not forget the Mayor calling those that oppose ULEZ, as siding with the far right.With some of the local election having not gone Labour's way there seems to be a attitude within Labour that the muslim vote should vote Labour. What racist nonsense.The real shocking news is that Khan & Hall appear to be the best both candidates that both parties have.

Ed Robinson ● 416d

Indeed, and quite separate from the Tory campaign there was some really unpleasant stuff going on on social media. I remember reading, in one below-the-line comment on a piece in the Telegraph, this vile comnent:Khaki punt.You don't need to be Alan Turing to work this out, but if I posted it here I'd rightly be automatically banned.

Richard Carter ● 416d

Yes, Richard. The first London mayor to win a third term in office; also a vote for supporting the environment by sensible people :-)  I see Conservative MP Paul Scully says his party ran an “incredibly underwhelming campaign” in the capital, and "gifted" Khan the win by running an "anti Khan" campaign rather than running about the positive aspects of the Conservative proposition and their Hall ...

Michael Ixer ● 416d

Richard - sorry. Took the figures without first checking. Too quick to post in my relief at the outcome.N.

Nicholas Evans ● 416d

I have no great love for him (neither do i dislike him) but it really does show that the Tories need to stop putting nutjobs on the ballot.

Michael Brigo ● 416d

Nick, the BBC is reporting rather different figures: that Sadiq had 1,088,225 votes whilst Susan Hall had 811,518....

Richard Carter ● 416d

He also pushed on with the ULEZ expansion (which was a Tory policy don't forget) despite people saying it would cost him a third term.Just need a GE and political alignment with central Government now.

John Kettlekey ● 416d

That was the last constituency to declare - Southwark and Lambeth.

Nicholas Evans ● 416d

Khan received 106,861 votes - or 61.2% - while Susan Hall received 26,347 - 15.1% - marking a swing to Labour 7.5%.

Nicholas Evans ● 416d

Indeed!

Caroline Whitehead ● 416d

Excellent news!Nick

Nicholas Evans ● 416d