Live webchat with Ken Livingstone, TODAY 11.15am to 12.15pm

[FrancesMumsnet]

In the run up to the London Mayoral elections in May, we're very pleased to announce that Ken Livingstone will be joining us for a live webchat on Wednesday 18th April from 11:15 am to 12:15 pm. You can read more about Kens plans for London on his Mumsnet blog here.

Ken Livingstone was London's first elected mayor between 2000 and 2008. He was born in Streatham in 1945, attending Tulse Hill Comprehensive and working as a lab technician at Chester Beatty cancer research unit. Since becoming the MP for Brent East he has lived in Cricklewood.

Join us for the webchat and make your voice heard about what you want to see from the capital's next Mayor. He's keen to hear your views and answer your questions. As ever, if you can't make it, please post up your advance questions here.

Thanks, MNHQ

He does bang on about the fares doesn't he? Not everyone commutes to work and public transport in the outer boroughs is pretty scarce too.

I don't have anything personal against Ken or Boris, they have both been decent Mayors. I just don't feel motivatedto vote for either at the moment.

MNHQ, is Siobhan coming on?

Seconding SophieNeveau; I'd like to see Siobhan Benita on too with a blog & web chat. Livingstone stood as an independent too the first time round, albeit with a bigger support network and greater recognition. From what I've read of her, she definitely deserves a wider hearing.

What they said.
She sounds interesting. And female.

Well, as far as I am concerned Lib Dem's picking a former I'm a celeb contestant, means I have no interest in voting Lib Dem. I have no interest in hearing what someone has to say after I saw their bare arse!

So the next best candidate was Siobhan.

Be realistic about how you vote - it's a two horse race. If you don't vote for Ken, Boris will get in. If that's what you want then fine, but there's really no point in voting for any other candidate than those two. Worth thinking about..

I don't vote that way, I don't see a vote as wasted. If I don't feel inspired I don't vote. Ken on bbc now!

You have two choices on your ballot. You are absolutely free to vote Green/BNP/ whatever as your first preference and then put whichever you hate least out of Ken & Boris. A first preference vote for a minority candidate is absolutely not a wasted vote.

Not saying it's wasted, but sometimes it's not as simple as just voting for who you'd like - if you vote for Siobhan Benita you're basically voting for Boris by default, as she'll split Ken's vote iyswim.

smee - are you saying then that Siobhan is Labour-lite rather than for example Conservative-Lite? Or are you just trying to ensure a first vote for Ken?

Everything I've read seems to show that Siobhan is Independent and therefore not splitting anyone's vote. Like most people I'll give my preferred candidate my first vote and my next favourite my second vote.

blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/andrewgilligan/100151722/siobhan-benita-whitehalls-candidate-for-mayor/

I read in politics, Siobhan is a Blair witch project! Who is funding her is a mystery!

Well bare arse is getting no vote from me!

They are on ITV now. Boris said he would smarten up, his hair is a disgrace again. He will make London look like fools at the Olympics. as much as I have a vit of a crush on him

nosey, that link kind of explains it, so yes she's left, which means she'll split Ken's vote. There's no way she'll ever win, so yes a vote for Benita helps Boris get elected.

Smee - a vote for Benita only helps Boris if you leave your second preference blank, or give it to another minority candidate.

Yep, but it's still pretty pointless as she won't ever get elected.

Not everyone votes for a party some like me, look at the whole person! bad hair, affairs, religious comments, arse flashing on I'm a celeb which puts someone in Peter Andre levels to me! finances, lift incidents, past experience as well as policies!

I've just read through this and am baffled and annoyed by many of Ken's answers.

Ken says he will give cyclists a 5 second head start over vehicles at traffic lights. How on Earth is this achievable? I can't see this saving the lives of cyclists in
London. I can't even imagine it is possible to implement.

He comments on almost daily delays on the jubilee line. This is NOT my experience maybe he is just unlucky. I've been riding the jubilee line for 10 years I'd say it's actually improved considerably in recent years.

EMA to be reinstated for Londoners? Is this fair for every other child in this country no longer eligible? Is this achievable? Where is all this money going to come from Ken?

He really didn't answer the questions put to him regarding his recent comments on the Jewish incident, the Islam beacon comment or his tax issues.

Boris would get my vote if I lived in London, I don't anymore, I commute in every day but no longer live in London. I genuinely think he's the only candidate of choice. My opinion anyway.

So is Siobhan Benita coming on for a web chat?
It looks like she would really deserve the exposure....

Also can anyone clarify (sorry, ignorant)
If I vote for S. Benita as number one and Ken as number two what happens to my vote for S. Benita?
Why would a vote for her go to Boris?

I remember someone on TV demonstrating this voting system, I got it at the time, now I am

It's a Supplementary Vote System, so in the first round, if someone gets 50% of the votes then they're elected. If not, then the top two vote winners get through to the next round, and all second preference votes are added to their totals. (You only get two preferences) Whoever comes out top wins.

Jenny Jones (Green) has suggested you put Ken as your second preference and he's said put Green if you're voting him first, so they've obviously got some deal going.

Basically though let's face it, it's hugely unlikely Benita will win, or be one of the top two candidates, so voting for her's basically a waste.

Neither Ken or Boris are likely to get over 50% in the first round either, but it's v.unlikely they won't be the top two vote winners, so it will be between them in round two. All of which means second preference votes are going to be what wins or loses the election, so think carefully and tactically before you vote...!

I disagree that a vote for your preferred candidate is a waste. Demonstrating that there is a lot of support for candidates outside the big two puts pressure on the BBC for increased coverage, and gives them much more visibility. If (say) Ken was elected with 25% of first preference votes and 15% second preference votes from Greens and 11% second preference votes from Siobhan B then that would give their views moral leverage. Ditto if the BNP came a convincing third place.

And of course there's always the possibility that if we all just vote for our favourites actually we'll discover that 50% of us would rather have Brian Paddick than anyone else - it's unlikely but stranger things have happened and we'll never know if we don't try.

Basically, if you've got nothing to lose, because you have your second preference to ensure you don't "let in Ken/Boris" then why on earth wouldn't you put your first preference candidate as your first preference?

Mmm, good point Dilys and totally fair enough - I think that's why they do the second preference system in a way and I like the idealism, but let's face it it will be Ken or Boris, and probably it looks like Boris atm.

I think the only thing that alarms me is that mostly people don't realise how it all works, so won't realise you can vote for one person and inadvertently help someone else.

I think most people do know how it works and would be slightly insulted to read that others think they are too ignorant to understand the consequences of their vote.

Just let people vote the way they want to.