London Mayoral election – voting as gender-critical

[PotteringPondering]

I’m voting in the London mayoral election on 2 May, and interested to know how others plan to vote.

I’m gender-critical and the only candidate I think I can vote for is Amy Gallagher, the former Tavistock whistleblower.

She’s SDP (ie relatively small minority party), so I guess won’t stand much chance of being elected. But a strong vote for her would signal a resurgence of the only party consistently against gender ideology (other than KJK’s new Party of Women, who are not standing in the mayoral election).

Did Londoners need ID to vote for the first time yesterday?

Turn out seems to be rather pitiful elsewhere too, not surprised, so many people feel politically homeless with all main parties letting down their previous voters…

I’m currently clicking through some random local papers and the turn out for the PCC vote on the IOW was only 16%

https://www.countypress.co.uk/news/24297392.isle-wight-police-crime-commissioner-election-turnout-revealed/

St Helens had PCC and Liverpool mayor to elect, 19% turn out

https://www.sthelensstar.co.uk/news/24297304.voter-turnout-st-helens-regional-elections-mayor-pcc/

Hull Council elections 21%

https://news.hull.gov.uk/02/05/2024/live-blog-hull-local-elections-2024/

That's a lot more people than have ever voted to say they want Sunak as PM.

Does anyone know what a PCC is and why they exist?

Police and Crime Commissioner. As for why they exist ... search me. Not literally.

Probably mostly, yes, but we had a Mayoral election in our borough recently so we had a dry run.

Yes, I had to show ID yesterday in London.

I thought it was announced today, I heard earlier 1.30.

Tomorrow maybe?

Apparently the lead was closing in the polls but maybe Khan will get through

Former PM made the requirement to bring photo ID a stipulation of the Elections Act in 2022
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/may/02/minister-sorry-as-veterans-find-id-card-not-valid-for-english-elections

Why were police and crime commissioners created?The role of police and crime commissioner was created by the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 to replace police authorities in England and Wales (except in London). This reform did not cover Scotland and Northern Ireland where policing is devolved.

This reform had been part of the Conservative Party’s manifesto since 2005. The stated aim was to strengthen local accountability and make police forces more responsive to local needs, responding to the fact that police authorities had been “invisible to the public".

https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainer/local-elections-2024-police-and-crime-commissioners

So we had first past the post because it speeds up counting??!!

So representative democracy takes too long to count ...

...Using first-past-the-post should significantly speed up the count.
The count will start at 9am on Saturday.

Three separate ballot papers will needed to be counted.

The mayoral votes will be counted first, then the constituency London Assembly members, and finally the London-wide Assembly members who will be elected using the Modified d’Hondt proportional representation system.

The first results on the mayoralty may come in around midday on Saturday, with speculation that by around 1.30pm it might be clear who will emerge as the winner.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/london-mayor-election-result-announce-sadiq-khan-susan-hall-friday-saturday-b1155321.html

But the other 4m made a choice not to vote which means they are satisfied with whoever gets in.

We don’t have a PCC up here in MCR, we used to have one before we got a Metro Mayor (Andy Burnham) and now it’s the Deputy Mayor’s job (Kate Green).

Election yesterday, count tomorrow. Will be shocked if Burnham doesn’t win again but I expect it to be a lower turnout and a reduced minority to previous wins

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/greater-manchester-mayoral-election-2024-29044400.amp

AB made big vows re: reducing on-street homelessness but it seems to have increased considerably, along with increased numbers of families in temp accommodation etc.

Loads of building happening in central Manchester but it’s largely luxury apartments for overseas, off plan investors or new fangled, self contained student accommodation (en suite shoeboxes, too small for full-time living building standards).

Are they responsible for commisioning crime?

Well, that would explain a lot.

So Khan has one by a country mile.
I guess it is another demonstration if we needed one, that knowing what a woman is, is not a key priority for much of the electorate.
See also the surge in council seats obtained by the Lib Dems, Greens as well as Labour.

Extremely relieved to see it looks like Sadiq has won again. Susan Hall would have been an international embarrassment.

It has been confirmed with the last count in. Khan increased his share of the vote, presumably because Londoners think he is doing a good job.

I don't know anyone who's enthusiastic about Khan, except for Labour apparatchiks. I'd be surprised if his vote share is in excess of the Labour share for the Assembly.

The advantage of Livingstone or Johnson is that they both knew they were polarising politicians, as many people hated them as loved them, so that kept them on their toes and forced them to hustle for support. The prevailing attitude to Khan seems to be "fuck it, I suppose he'll do", and that suits him fine. He seems to me basically a lazy mayor who's content to rely on Labour hegemony in London.

I voted for Amy Gallagher. I knew she wouldn't win a big vote, but I wanted to encourage her and I'm pleased she did relatively well.

Votes Candidate %
84,725 Sadiq Khan, Labour Party 48
50,976 Susan Hall, Conservative Party 29
13,153 Rob Blackie, Liberal Democrat 7
9,646 Zoe Garbett, The Green Party 5
4,495 Howard Cox, Reform UK 3
3,439 Natalie Campbell Independent 2
2,192 Amy Gallagher, Social Democratic Party 1
2,018 Femy Amin, Animal Welfare Party 1
1,889 Count Binface 1
1,359 Andreas Michli 1
1,030 Tarun Ghulati 1
961 Nick Scanlon, Britain First 1
376 Brian Rose, London Real Party 0

I voted for Amy Gallagher. I knew she wouldn't win a big vote, but I wanted to encourage her and I'm pleased she did relatively well.

Relatively well? She got a few hundred votes more than Count Binface!

I wonder if the Tories chose Susan Hall over the preferred candidate (MP who had as a Minister had responsibility for London) because if he was beaten (as a political heavy weight) it would be more embarrassing than a lightweight like her.

Interesting that unlike in some other regions where Reform obviously took votes from the Tories, it doesn't seem so in London as neither they nor Britain First did very well.

And that Natalie Campbell standing as an Independent candidate got not much less than reform. I dont think London has ever had a female let alone a Black candidate win a Mayoral election.

Voter turnout was 40.5% in the London mayoral election, down 1.5% overall from 2021, London Elects has announced.

Previously, voter turnout was 42% in 2021, 46% in 2016, 38% in 2012, 45% in 2008, 37% in 2004 and 34% in 2000.

I think in London it is more of a worry that the assembly doesn't have a wider range of views.

Irrespective of whichever party the Mayor is from, they need to be held to account.

https://www.londonelects.org.uk/im-voter/election-progress/results-2024

Hmmm, don’t forget that both Livingstone and Johnson had their own parties in government for all or most of their terms, whereas Khan has only ever had an opposition government. That must have been a hinderance. Let’s see what he does when Labour win the general election.

I’m not a Labour apparatchik, but Khan’s policies have improved the lives of my family.