Forum Topic

WHY Sadiq Khan was re-elected

It is possible that Sadiq Khan was re-elected not because of a surge of enthusiasm and support for him and what he was doing / had done, but rather because of a lack of enthusiasm for Shaun Bailey as a candidate.

Rae Lewis ● 1982d21 Comments

Rae: Shaun Bailey was relatively unknown who didn't have a City Hall media team behind him following and popularising him as Khan had. Khan assiduously progressed daily about London during his campaign into every conceivable varied ethnic and faith quarter from which he sort to draw most of his support. Given London is peopled now by 40%+ non-white and non-Christian he was on a good wicket in that regard. And, he, or his team made sure to post adverts and 'happy snaps' of Sadiq frolicking amiably with his support base posted on the numerous social media sites that included supplying 'Best Wishes' to the different religious faith days and festivals. Khan made sure to populisticly bathe the iconic totem of supreme British Empire victory of Nelson's Column with his Islamic faith's purple light, a colour of supremacy and power, with inscriptions to Khan's God that the great Saladin would, perhaps, is smiling. By contrast Shaun Bailey, an affable fellow and competent to speak of London's knife-crime he'd likely do better with being black and having worked among disaffected youth didn't have a chance against Khan's arrogant persuasive all-things-to-all-Londoners-blather.

Bobbie Carnegie ● 1982d

You may well be right, it's all very depressing. Right now there is a paucity of decent candidates in the worldwide political arena.

Rae Lewis ● 1982d

Do you actually believe the rubbish you type?

Basil Finnis ● 1982d

This is possibly one of the worst posts ever on here.

Carl Wynne ● 1982d

Stop posting on it and its high standards can then be maintained :-)

Bobbie Carnegie ● 1982d

Basil, who were you brushing with the finesse of your comment?

Bobbie Carnegie ● 1982d

Amen to all you've written, I would have said the same myself. At least we only have to wait less than tree years now for the Tories to put up another no-hoper to rival the little squirt. Zac Goldsmith had the charisma of a dead goldfish whereas Shaun Bailey had at least been there and done it unlike Khan who as a lawyer was there to make money out of government policies.

peter king ● 1980d

Too many candidates split the vote - it was pretty close in the end. Kahn and Bailey had nothing to offer so the cast of thousands threw their hat in with the inevitable consequence of the incumbent remaining in place

Simeon Gill ● 1980d

Yet Kahn still won more votes than Johnson did the two times he ran.The fact is savvy voters understand they can use their first vote to support a cause or make a point and their second to elect the Tory/Labour candidate.

Kerry Chandler ● 1980d

Many wasted votes this time round, think it's when people reach despair.

Janice Evans ● 1980d

No vote is ever wasted - it's the numpties who don't vote at all and then never stop moaning who are wrong.

Vanessa Smith ● 1980d

Vanessa, I never voted for many years as was fed up with all of them.

Janice Evans ● 1980d

In the Additional List GLA vote, candidates are allocated in proportion to the votes cast for their party, so votes for minority parties aren't totally 'wasted'.  The government wants to change the London Mayor election to first past the post for next time as they think they might stand a better chance of winning if the anti-Tory vote is split across several parties and second preferences don't come into play.

Peter Evans ● 1980d

The over long list of would be candidates for the mayorship led to the reinstatement of Sadiq Khan.Whilst a lawyer his rumoured friendship and sympathetic defence of known terroists made him a controversial choice as mayor.He has a multitude of excuses for his poor record on housing, and soaring crime rates.However, he has got in again on a democratic vote and I, like the many, can live with his candidature for the next term of office.

Denis I. Fox ● 1980d

"The over long list of would be candidates for the mayorship led to the reinstatement of Sadiq Khan."There were 20 candidates, and 86% of voters contributed to contest between Khan and Bailey, either through their first or second preference vote. There were 12 candidates last time, and slightly less, 84%, contributed to the contest between Khan and Goldsmith. It looks like Londoners understand how to influence the choice of mayor, irrespective of the number of candidates.

Tom Pike ● 1980d

Kerry: The right to vote and expecting a vote will count fairly and justly shouldn't require voters to be especially savvy ~ otherwise, shenanigans, duplicity, unfairness and injustice can be pointed at Khan gaining his mayoralty with a fluke, under the guise of democracy, of deception.

Bobbie Carnegie ● 1980d

Janice I agree with Vanessa. Not voting should not be an option for any thinking person. You may disagree with or dislike all the candidates but it is your duty to choose the one that will do the best job (or possibly the least harm). Perfection is seldom found in real life.Ultimately not voting is the lazy persons option encouraged by our deeply cynical media and entertainment industry. We seldom if ever hear or read a commentator saying that a minister, shadow minister or spokesperson has done or said something worthwhile. If you think for a few seconds it is statistically impossible that all our elected politicians are irredeemably incompetent and/or venal all of the time.But that this the impression that the media give day in and day out.  To encourage voting I would change the law to always include a "none of the above" candidate. If this fake candidate received the most votes a civil servant would be appointed to handle all the casework (but not vote) and a second election would be held one year later with an entirely new slate of candidates. I remember canvassing hard in the rain and in the dark during the by-election at which I was first elected. Around the corner I could hear a colleague engaged in a heated doorstep conversation. The punch line that I heard quite clearly was "Yes Sir that may well be the case but what you have to decide is whether you would prefer to be represented or a Labour w****r or a Tory w****r"Sums it all up really, although I have never actually run on a platform advocating onanism.

Cllr Sam Hearn ● 1980d

Could work rather than people destroying the ballots, gives another option.

Janice Evans ● 1980d

For once I agree with Cllr Hearn.  The regular trashing of local councillors as variously corrupt and/or incompetent with zero evidence is annoying. It should be called out. I also remember that by-election. Miserable weather, ended up in the City Barge, a pleasure denied to us in the latest elections.

David McLoughlin ● 1978d

I too agree with Sam but I would say that the belief that all politicians are corrupt and dishonest is not only lazy and annoying, it’s simply wrong and, worse than that, dangerous.  This is because it encourages the attitude that you might as well vote for this or that known liar/crook because all the rest are the same.But they’re not.  Many politicians are truthful, sincere and in politics because they want to help others and create a better society.  And you can find such people in all the main political parties and these are the ones we should be voting into parliament, councils and into positions of power.  If you just pay attention to their words and deeds you should be able to discern who is worthy of trust and support.

Alastair Banton ● 1978d

This is a useful reminder, however we vote and whatever makes us despair, there are decent, hard working people, cross-party, dedicated to service and the public good.As voters, our responsibility is to spot them.

Kerry Chandler ● 1978d