So it's Ken vs Boris again

[longfingernails]

Let's just remind ourselves of what the Grauniad had to say about Boris last time:

www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/may/01/boris.livingstone

For those too lazy to read the whole thing, it is headlined "Be afraid. Be very afraid."

Well there was fair few other 'swing voters' who switched from Ken to Boris. It wasn't only me.

If Boris took some ideas that Ken supported (I doubt they were actually Ken's own ideas) and successfully implemented them - good on him.

I'm mainly interested in what's best for London.

So if Boris implements something where most of the work has already been done and it wasn't something he started, he gets all the credit.

While if Ken starts an inititive, lobbys for it and gets the ball rolling, it's irrelevant as they're not his ideas anyway?

So should Boris have dropped all initiatives supported by Ken?

He kept the ones he liked and dropped those he didn't. If Ken wins he'll do the same.

In the Guardian article you linked - Ken gives Boris no credit for his success in implementing the projects which he (Ken) started. And tbh I wouldn't have expected him to! As I not surprised that Boris isn't crediting Ken for 'getting the ball' rolling.

Tis politics - and they are both seasoned politicians.

Ken did pretty much nothing on cycle hire except a perfunctory feasibility study. All the work has been done by Boris and his team.

It was Boris, not Ken, who has managed to untangle Gordon Brown's disastrous PPP for the Tube.

Boris has built more social housing in London than Ken ever did or planned to - though of course, Ken is now lying about this, saying he planned to build houses all along.

Yes of course jackstar. In my initial post I said that whichever way it goes then inititives already going though will continue (unless there are ideological reasons not to). What I don't like is tories listing things as boris triumphs when they are things that started before his administration and were going to happen anyway.

The london living wage - that was certainly actively opposed by the tories - no surprise there really - so to clam it as all their scheme is just silly.

We could go round and round here. Bottom line is that people on this thread are deeply ideologically opposed and are not about to change their minds. I just dislike this trumpeting of things which were going to happen anyway as all boris' work, or al his ideas, or all teh work of the tories, when they aren't.

ISNT

That is unfair. I am happy to give Ken the credit for Oysterizing National Rail stations. Boris had very little to do with that.

You are right that shouting about who deserves credit for one thing or another is largely pointless.

However, I think not even Labourites can deny that Ken is undoubtably quite far to the left, and Boris is undoubtably centrist.

Well I tend to agree with Ken's ideas so maybe that puts me far to the left... Maybe

I don't fancy Ken's chances much TBH I think Boris will get it. When is the election anyway?

4 May 2012 I think

So we've got 6 months of campaigning then

i feel like I've had enough after that general election!

6 months? No, it's much much worse - almost two years!

The next big elections will be the local/Scottish/Welsh elections next year - and of course the AV referendum.

Oh JESUS two years?

That is a helluva long time.

I suppose things could change in that period, given the time for the cuts to be implemented.