Town Mouse on London Mayoral elections
The next London Mayor will be in charge of the Olympic Games – do we want the more organised Ken Livingstone or the morale boosting Boris Johnson, wonders Jessica Fellowes


The race is on now for the new London Mayor. Will it be Ken Livingstone, or the tousle-haired, much-lampooned Boris Johnson? (The other candidates won't get a look in.) The fun has already started with Mr Livingstone and Mr Johnson firing insults at each other across the airwaves and newspaper columns. Adding to Mr Johnson's image as a character out of the Beano comics, even his father has weighed in: 'I just don't think people want another four years of Stalinist Ken Livingstone, and Boris will be a fresh voice.' Meanwhile, the 'Stalinist' has said: 'London is currently the world's most successful city and requires serious city administration, not a shambles.' Now, the shambles in question has always struck me as a personable chap, obviously clever and keen.
Townies are quick to take a pop at Livingstone mainly for the congestion charge but we have won the Olympic bid. We need someone to steer the city through this challenge. Mr Livingstone, I suspect, would be the more organised of the two, but Mr Johnson would be a marvel at boosting morale when the inevitable chippiness from Londoners about the cost and disruption sets in.
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