The left does not have to hold its nose and vote for Ken – Ashdown
I understand why many voters on the progressive wing of politics are struggling with voting for Ken Livingstone.
His campaign been sad, bad, desperate and divisive.
He has just one big idea – a 7% cut in tube fares. A perfectly decent policy at a time when fares have risen remorselessly for years on end, but the problem is he can’t do it and he knows it.
TfL knows it too, having worked out that if they implemented such a cut the money would run out and in three years time your fares would have to be hiked up by an eye-watering 38% on top of inflation.
Ken’s been around a long time, He’s done some good things in the past and and he’s learned a trick or two along the way. One is how to play “dog whistle” politics – sending out subliminal messages which most people can’t hear, but calls in the people you want to hear.
Ken Livingstone knows exactly what he is doing when he describes the Conservative Party as ‘riddled’ with homosexuals. He knows what he is doing when he connects Judaism and wealth.
I do not believe for a second that Ken Livingstone is an anti-Semite or a homophobe – he has a proud record of fighting for gay rights – but he knows what gallery he is playing to.
Some people say this is disreputable. Perhaps it is. But its certainly sad, bad, desperate and divisive. Londoners deserve better and voters proud of their progressive credentials are right to think twice about backing him. And that’s without even going into the row about his personal tax arrangements.
You must not interpret this as an endorsement of Boris Johnson. These might be the heady days of coalition but I cannot and will not ever recommend voting for a Conservative.
I believe the people of London are fed up with choosing between Ken Livingstone and Boris Johnson. I believe the appetite is there for change and the opportunity is there for a credible, progressive candidate like Brian Paddick to win.
Whether you share my view or not, this election presents you with an opportunity to make a positive choice, not just to cast a vote for the lesser of two evils.
Last May, many of you will have voted in favour of using the alternative vote system. It is a form of this system that we use to elect your Mayor.
You can cast your first vote positively for the person you would most like to see in charge of London. If that person does not receive enough support then your second preference vote will count instead.
If you want to prevent Boris Johnson winning you can vote against him twice, with both your heart and your head.
And if the thought of backing Ken Livingstone and his brand of opportunistic and divisive politics leaves you cold, you can cast your first preference vote for Brian Paddick instead.
In Brian Paddick we have a liberal progressive of the utmost integrity who has dedicated his life to public service and bringing Londoners together.
From social house building and targeting fare cuts on the low paid to tackling racism in the police and giving young people a positive alternative to gangs, he has the ideas to bring some social justice to the capital.
Those of you who consider yourself on the left do not have to hold your nose and vote for Ken. Not when Brian Paddick offers such a positive alternative.