Lefties and Centrists of London - would you consider voting against the current mayor in the next election?

[hotmumshit]

Cant get a bus down Oxford Street
Crime hasn't gone anywhere, only the phone bike thieves due to international outcry
Housing still a mess

I am a lifelong leftie, but I am not voting the current mayor in again.

I don’t shop in White City because I hate being on the tube for an hour, so I go elsewhere to suit my needs.
When I take the baby I don’t go to Oxford street as facilities with toilets/ changing are more limited, so I go elsewhere.
No every single scenario will always suit every single person, that’s really not a controversial take.

Please stop, youre just being awful. Leave disabled people alone.

Yeah but is the picture that anyone in office tries to portray an accurate reflection of what's happening?! What was it Churchill said about statistics? SK is definitely held to higher standards than the previous mayor was.

Would a Tory (or whatever) mayor reverse this plan?

I believe you 100%.

Out of interest, what impact do you think the pedestrianisation of part of Oxford Street will have on the only crime stat (sexual offences) you've felt able to share without risking your peculiarly specific, incredibly sensitive and so very easily identifiable professional position?

“Leave disabled people alone”?
I haven’t made a single negative or derogatory comment, you seem intent on trying to make this discussion aggressive and inflammatory.
Being pro the pedestrianisation of oxford street is not being anti disabled people, stop trying to conflate the two.

What about disabled people who welcome the relieving of the congested pavements? Do they not count?

There are some really good cycle options on parallel routes to Oxford Street. I am in favour of pedestrianising the area and I think it will help revitalise Oxford St which does look dated. I am no Labour supporter but Khan has done a good job for London on the whole.

I have a baby so I cant go here

Is not the same as someone having a disability. Its an awful take.

You don’t want to take the tube, you don’t want to take an adjacent bus route, you don’t want to drive and park, you don’t want to take a cab … I mean no one is going to bring back traffic on Oxford street just so you have the choice to take the bus all the way to one specific John Lewis.
Every single store on Oxford street is also available elsewhere in London.
Pedestrianisation is a net benefit, you don’t have to agree with that but you can’t demonise everyone who supports it. Why even start the thread if you’re going to be so outraged at anyone who disagrees with you?

I am overall supportive of the pedestrianisation of Oxford st, though I have to say I probably will still rarely go there. I think SK is right to do something radical to try and improve the street which as others have said has been in decline for sometime. The extent of the current pedestrian zone is pretty small and so I really can’t believe there will be many people who would find key shops inaccessible as the nearest public transport would be max 5 min walk away. I expect the biggest challenge to the pedestrianisation project will be keeping the cyclists at bay, especially e bikes which would really ruin the nice pedestrianised space. I say this as a cyclist. One of my biggest irritations in London is cyclists jumping red lights (both over pedestrian crossings and at junctions when they cause conflict with traffic, often other bikes, who have the green light) or cycling in pedestrian only places. However this problem as with many others is something the mayor has relatively little influence over. He can’t put way more investment into policing for example and has only limited influence over how the met proritises things like cyclists dodging red lights). This is something that will slowly change under Burnham (more info in this great summary of the implications of today’s budget for London- https://open.substack.com/pub/londoncentric/p/londons-mayor-gets-actual-powers?r=9iui0&utm_medium=ios) but I do think overall people don’t realise how little power Sadiq Khan currently has. Even on transport where he has more influence, decisions schemes like LTNs are made at borough level rather than by the mayor.
Where Sadiq Khan could have influence I think he’s used his powers wisely with the ULEZ being the shining example of a good decision. For this scheme alone he will get my vote again if he runs again. If he doesn’t run, I expect I will vote for the Labour candidate.

Isn't the pedestrian scheme a trial though?
If retailers start losing sales because shoppers aren't going there then surely they would be requesting it's changed back?
I'm more annoyed that HMV is having to leave again because they can't afford the rent for Oxford St.
Who controls the rents on Oxford St?
That's pretty much the only shop I go to in that section of Oxford St so without that being there I won't have a reason to be going there - traffic or no traffic.

What are you saying

Youve Just equated a disability to having a baby

And now youre claiming you know how this situation should be solved for me

Please stop honestly - awful way of thinking you've displayed here.

Yes you should be able to.

There are lots of places my DH and I can't go to and planning a holiday is a major challenge, so I know how hard it is. Accessibility is a major issue and more needs to be done UK wide.

Eta: could you break the walk to Selfridges by stopping for coffee and having a rest?

.

The 5 min walk from the bus stop?

You’re acting like the 1km section of Oxford Street being closed is a square mile big. It’s only 1km. Buses will go along wigmore street which is not far at all, and there’s no reason why cyclists can’t go around Oxford Street.

💐

Sadiq Khan has not got a grip on crime! Some figures might have gone down, but when you see your local Tesco extra or coop being targeted time and time again by brazen shoplifters and insane amount of car thefts happening , the figures don’t resonate! Khan has killed London nightlife!

It might take OP longer than 5 mins, tbf. When my husband could still walk a five minute walk for me could be 20 mins for him.

I don't agree with OP about Khan.

From the bus stop the walk is a minute or 2. Which is my point

Seeing as the pedestrian road starts at Orchard Street, you can easily get to Selfridges…

Looks like you’re just complaining for the sake of it…

Selfridgrs is in the middle of Oxford street, I dont know what you're saying.

Absolutely will be voting for him.

Key Improvements & Data

• Nitrogen Dioxide (NO₂): Average NO₂ levels across London have fallen by nearly 38% since 2014. Every neighbourhood now meets the UK’s legal annual limit of 40 µg/m³.
• Health Impact: An Imperial College London study shows that estimated deaths linked to air pollution in London dropped by around 40% between 2019 and 2024 (falling from an estimated 6,400–8,000 down to 3,800–5,100).
• Fine Particles (\(\text{PM}{2.5}\)): Outer London \(\text{PM}{2.5}\) exhaust emissions dropped by 31% following the August 2023 ULEZ expansion to the whole capital. 1, 2]
• Vehicle Compliance: Over 96% to 97% of vehicles driving in London now meet ULEZ standards, avoiding the £12.50 daily fee.

Let’s hope the pedestrianisation project is a success, because otherwise, there is unlikely to be much reason for anyone - disabled or not - to go to Oxford anymore.

To be honest, they’re going to have to create some sort of epic paradise of entertainment and leisure to draw me back! Haven’t shopped there in 25 years. Mainly because it’s shit.