London is, I think, a successful city. But it is less successful because of Khan. And the Tories have to accept that we, too, are partly to blame for this depressing state of affairs.
Susan Hall was a good candidate. The platform she stood on was one of sound conservatism, with a genuine attempt to appeal to the ordinary blue-collar voters of the outer London boroughs
Can the new settlement retain cross-party support when one of the major parties controls only one mayoralty?
Such bonuses are real. But with so many current Conservative MPs withdrawing, and many of those who are re-standing doing so in either partially or entirely new constituencies, there may be limited opportunities for Tories to actually benefit.
It’s simply not possible to attract a superb candidate without the beginnings of a revival already underway. Nor can a revival happen without a mayoral standard bearer.
The party’s total vote share and prospects is more buoyant than a simple glance at some of the polls might expect.
These mayoralty elections might not tell us much about the result of the next general election, but they do give us a clue about where the Conservatives should go afterwards.
Khan has failed to deliver on his promise of a city-wide study on stop and search. Instead, despite the majority of people supporting the strategy, use has fallen over the past five years.
Amy Lamé has been the subject of several petitions to be sacked – or have the role scrapped entirely – with leading industry groups and businesses describing her as ‘non-existent’.
We need a Mayor who will be upfront with people, not someone who brushes things under the carpet.
The elements that came together to see a Conservative elected Mayor in 2008 – a national mood turning against Labour, a near-celebrity candidate in the as-yet-untarnished form of Boris Johnson, and a radical and increasingly unpopular incumbent – are not currently at hand.
“I know she is passionate about London and about all Londoners, as are we.”
When challenged, the Mayor resorts the tactics of an authoritarian bully, publicly accusing his opponents of being in coalition with the “far-right” as his office chides scientists who publish unhelpful facts.
I’m not convinced that knowing the Government could intervene, and didn’t, will endear the Conservative Party to voters.
If the Tories want any chance of returning straight back into government in 2029, they need to understand the significance of obtaining London.