Every day through London, I take the train and the tube. I see almost everyone reading free papers – The Metro or the Evening Standard. And almost every day I look over their shoulders and spot a pro-Boris or anti-Ken story.
The London Mayor’s main role is effectively that of a transport tzar. I’ve never seen Boris on public transport. That is to say, I’ve seen him on TV on public transport… But I’ve never actually seen him using it to get from A to B on his own, when a camera wasn’t on him. Maybe he does, maybe our paths never cross. But I’ve seen Ken. On his own. With an umbrella on the tube. More than once.
This reason, coupled with the price-rises for the poorest attitude of Boris, makes me think that Ken can’t be a worse option. Plus I feel sorry for him over the alliterative bicycles.
So I’m voting Ken. And this blog is the tiny mouthpiece I have to tell you about it, as I’m not an oligarch, and can’t afford to own a free newspaper. I can take some small comfort from the fact that a few thousand people will read this as a counterbalance, even though I’m still not sure why you’re all here. Thanks.
PS – Some reasons to vote Boris here.
Licensed under a 
The Blackheath Bugle 
And how about neither? Siobhan Benita is a credible alternative (in my view) and I bet she does take the tube like everyone else! :) http://www.siobhanformayor.com/index.html @Siobhan4mayor
I’m sure she’s very nice, but statistically she seems unlikely to win. And I wan my vote to count.
I’m not voting for either. We need somebody new. How about UKIP?
My wife migrated to this country. UKIP is opposed to immigration. How do you think that makes me feel? Middle class people who are too ashame to vote for the “other nationalists”.
Voting for Boris (who does travel by bike – seen him many times & he does use the tube.) Besides he can’t drive in – there’s no parking at City Hall.
My problem with Ken is that he is too sectarian – he supports one ethnic group against the other. He is just like Galloway (who reminds me of Ian Paisley.) London does not deserve such a divisive figure.
And his promised fare cut – lovely idea but I find it hard to believe that TfL can sustain such a cut in fares.
I’m with you Bugle. While there are a number of issues about which I disagree with Ken, and while I wish the Labour party could come up with a younger and more inspiring figure, he’s the safest pair of hands for London, and he’s always worked hard to provide Londoner’s with a decent public transport system.
I follow local blogs to get local info. Not to get wishy-washy advice on who to vote for from someone who thinks that becasue they have seen Ken on the same tube as them a couple of times he must be the best bet for public transport.
Cheerio then. On the flip side, you probably read national/London newspapers to find out what’s going on in the world. Not to allow a multi-millionaire to influence your vote.
I can remember Ken as leader of Lambeth council and the GLC as well as his first two stints as mayor. Also several Labour governments. Their hearts are in the right place but they think money grows on trees and it flushes away through waste or ‘favoured’ projects. And favoured people. The Conservative heads are in the right place, their hearts need softening but at least they can manage the cash.
Probably will vote for Ken L, at least as second choice, but not because I’ve seen him on the tube. I haven’t. I did see Kenneth Clarke waiting for a train on Blackheath station on the Friday before Christmas, sitting by himself, but that won’t make me want to vote for *him*.
Was he smoking a pipe?
I can’t stand Labour , period .
And look, there is one! Just after the space in your last sentence!
I’m voting for Ken too. Boris has waged a particularly nasty campaign against him supported by a very bias media. With the exeption of the ‘Boris Bikes’ (an idea stolen from Paris) I can’t think of a single Boris achievement in the past 4 years.
Love the blog by the way!
What, he stole the idea, jeeez…next he’ll come up with some barmy idea about trains underground.
I once saw Annette Firman from Grange Hill at Greenwich Theatre so will be voting for her.
Ken will say one thing and do the other, look how much fares rose during his terms as mayor. You can guarantee that if he does get in and implement a 7% reduction, there will be a massive hike later on. At least Boris is honest enough to say it’s unaffordable and not promise something that can’t be delivered. Ken cannot be trusted with London’s finances. And no doubt if Ken does get in he’ll go back to his favourite subject congestion charging and look to extend the congestion charge zone down to Greenwich like he was planning before! So it’s Boris for me
I can disagree (don’t have a car, etc etc), but at least those sound like good reasons.
Fares dropped when Ken became mayor, he also got rid of zones on the buses and introduced the flat fare. My bus ticket went from £1.90 to 90p.
You say Boris is honest enough to say it’s unaffordable, maybe he isn’t honest. Why can’t Ken be trusted with finances, you don’t specify any reason but the word of someone who wants him to lose.
Ken has already said the congestion charge will not expand.
I’m voting for Ken because he is responsible for changing London for the better.
Boris just covered it in sponsorship and got very little for it. He took Ken’s research into the Paris Velib bike hire and ordered a much more expensive version from Canada!
Hello
Just a suggestion – how about Brian Paddick because of his great policies like the One Hour Bus Ticket (if you change buses you don’t pay twice) or part-time or early bird workers cheaper travelcards. You can vote for him 1st preference and still vote for Ken or Boris 2nd preference so if he’s knocked out your second vote will count. Also voting for the Lib Dems in the assembly would stop a nationalist party like the BNP getting an Assembly Member due to the way the list system works.
Except that yellow is now just another shade of blue. And the broken window “you break, you fix it” campaign is insulting and infuriating. Wouldn’t a 2nd place vote for the greens have the same effect of reducing the BNP’s chances?
As I understand it its to do with the number of list members the lib dems have – if their number goes down then the BNP or UKIP are likely to gain. Also coalition politics might not be your cup of tea but I think hopefully it leads to compromise and ultimately better decisions than we would have got if the Tories had won outright (people seem to conveniently forget that Labour couldn’t have formed a government even with the Lib Dems). Also Brian has 30 years experience as a police officer so is at least experienced at understanding these issues in London.
In an admittedly very small defence of Boris, I have seen him, with bike, at London Bridge train station. On the UKIP point earlier though I wholeheartedly agree with your viewpoint.