Beyond the pandemic: London votes for a mayor during crisis

I’m voting for Count Binface as my first choice, still haven’t decided on my second choice. Most of the candidates are appalling.

Not even that many people in London care about this. It is hardly no 1 in the world news.

I'd vote for Khan just to pizs off his detractors, but I hope Binface gets more votes than novelty candidate Fox.

Khan has been terrible for London. I sincerely hope he loses. And he’s racist.

Couldn’t bring myself to vote for Bailey. No matter how they teach him to talk properly and dress him up in civilised clothing, he’s still a Tory at heart....

Khan has been terrible for London. I sincerely hope he loses. And he’s racist

I would tend to agree.

I would tend to agree

How closely have you followed Khan? Reading Trump’s trash Tweets about him?

Khan is odds-on at 1/16 to win this.

I don’t think there are too many who think he’s done an outstanding job. These odds are more reflective of the state of the other candidates.

The likes of Bailey and Fox are just ridiculous.

How closely have you followed Khan? Reading Trump’s trash Tweets about him?

As much as you closely followed Trump.

How closely have you followed Khan? Reading Trump’s trash Tweets about him?

As much as you closely followed Trump.

Really? You must have a pretty good awareness of Khan’s policies and how this has affected life for Londoners. What do you think his successes and failures are and what specifically would you like to see done for London’s particular problems? How do you think he compares with previous mayors like Johnson and Livingstone?

I’m surprised you have such knowledge of the issues of London given that you told us you ‘could care less’ about other countries, let alone individual cities in other countries.

Impressive stuff, Bass.

bass4funkToday  09:51 am JST

"Khan has been terrible for London. I sincerely hope he loses. And he’s racist"

I would tend to agree.

Then I trust you won't be making any further remarks about Europeans or Britons commenting on US politics.

bass4funkToday  10:59 am JST

How closely have you followed Khan? Reading Trump’s trash Tweets about him?

As much as you closely followed Trump.

If you're implying that someone else followed news about Trump extremely closely, it's surprising that the Mayor of London is that important to you.

Really?

Yes, sir.

You must have a pretty good awareness of Khan’s policies

Yes, besides not wanting to back Brexit, causing religious tensions between Christians and Muslims where tensions are already pretty stressed, failure on the promise of building new homes, failed miserably on providing better access to affordable housing, and like Newsom in California not doing a good job at all with growing homelessness in London, not addressing the growing knife crime rate, but amazing how the man wants to lecture the US about our guns. There are a lot of good people that could do a better job.

How do you think he compares with previous mayors like Johnson and Livingstone?

Tough one, but overall compared to Khan cautiously relatively better. 

I’m surprised you have such knowledge of the issues of London

Impressive stuff, Bass.

I do tend to impress liberals quite a lot, especially the ones across the pond that are experts in American politics.

Then I trust you won't be making any further remarks about Europeans or Britons commenting on US politics.

Depends.

If you're implying that someone else followed news about Trump extremely closely, it's surprising that the Mayor of London is that important to you.

He's not, and like you, I'm giving my personal opinion, nothing more. Kudos.

Yes, besides not wanting to back Brexit, causing religious tensions between Christians and Muslims where tensions are already pretty stressed, failure on the promise of building new homes, failed miserably on providing better access to affordable housing, and like Newsom in California not doing a good job at all with growing homelessness in London, not addressing the growing knife crime rate, but amazing how the man wants to lecture the US about our guns. There are a lot of good people that could do a better job.

The google is strong in this one.

If you're implying that someone else followed news about Trump extremely closely, it's surprising that the Mayor of London is that important to you.

He's not, and like you, I'm giving my personal opinion, nothing more. Kudos.

I’m assuming you didn’t just do a quick google search on Khan, and so I’m just wondering why you know so much about Khan and the problems of London.

I don’t know how this squares with someone who ‘could care less’ about other countries and even individual cities in these countries, but your input is very interesting here.

I’m surprised you rate a hard-left politician like Livingstone over the pretty moderate Khan. As you know, Livingstone was one of the most high-profile hard-left politicians in the UK.

What do you think Livingstone did better?

If I was still there, I'd be voting Khan. He's the best out of a bad lot and has done reasonably well for a centerist. He's faced unprecedented racial abuse as Mayor (and not just from little englanders, there's been an unusual amount coming from the US, for some reason).

I’m surprised you rate a hard-left politician like Livingstone over the pretty moderate Khan. As you know, Livingstone was one of the most high-profile hard-left politicians in the UK.

US conservatives never heard of him until you mentioned the name!

So utterly dishonest, the far right. They should run for mayor.

f I was still there, I'd be voting Khan. He's the best out of a bad lot

This is the problem. I think Khan has been average at best but after seeing the debate with Bailey on LBC, and looking at the other non-entities and Fox ( a walking YouTube comments section to steal a phrase ), I’d probably go Khan or go with Luddite’s Binface vote.

One of the world’s great cities deserves better than this. This is a travesty.

I’m assuming you didn’t just do a quick google search on Khan

No, like you I have access to news outlets as well.

and so I’m just wondering why you know so much about Khan and the problems of London.

I definitely think he was better when it came to speaking out against human rights abuse and civil rights and caring more about investing in public services that were crucial speech he gave on the 7/7 bombings, now the man did say quite a bit of controversial things, but overall, in the beginning, I thought the man was quite alright.

Jim, once again, you comment, I comment, that's all we do, you can criticize me all you want and I will do the same, no biggie.

What do you think Livingstone did better?

Like Corbyn, he refused to buy into the demonisation of Irish people, at a time when there was internment, racism and conflict between the two islands. He was well respected by the Irish community, long before he became mayor. But, as time passed the establishment finally caught him out and his comments didn't help matters, much.

Khan is dull and reliable and will win on May 6th. It's not exactly inspirational, but Fox, Bailey, Rose and the rest of them are just off the chart right wing/conspiracy theorists.

One of the world’s great cities deserves better than this. This is a travesty.

In total agreement, there.

Why? You live in the US or here, depending on what to believe from your previous posts.

Says the person that is always bashing the US.

Says the poster who calls immigrants third world cultures.

Yes, that doesn't mean the people are bad but do you say rich celebs in Western countries moving there? No, you don't, it's about the living conditions, not the people. If you target the people themselves, that would be racist, highlighting what their economic and social state is where they live is not racist.

US conservatives never heard of him until you mentioned the name!

WE invented the plane and the internet, try that one again

So utterly dishonest, the far right. They should run for mayor.

How? That was just weird guy, seriously.

Jim, once again, you comment, I comment, that's all we do, you can criticize me all you want and I will do the same, no biggie.

I agree. I’m just surprised you know so much about London mayors and the specific problems facing that city. It’s really impressive.

Similarly, your ability to put partisanship aside and praise a hard-left politician who scared off some centre-left and centrist voters is very refreshing. I had no idea you respected Red Ken Livingstone.

This open-mindedness in caring about other countries and even having a quite detailed knowledge of individual cities in other countries is superb.

Kudos, Bass. Thumbs up.

The question is, would Fox get Billy Piper's vote?

Says the person that is always bashing the US.

I've never bashed the US. Such violent rhetoric. I have repeatedly and harshly criticized it's foreign and domestic policies, of course.

Anyway, this is about the prospective London mayor, so can the far right US contingent please stop making it all about themselves.

WE invented the plane and the internet, try that one again

That's nice. It's incorrect, of course but whatever. Anyway, I was replying to another poster who cannot back up his criticisms of Khan.

The question is, would Fox get Billy Piper's vote?

Doubt it. He's finished after this, he'll never get an acting job again. His only hope is if LBC add him to their tiresome anti-woke roster of presenters and er, personalities.

I'll say this about the newt fella, he's a good orator. Unlike Johnson and Khan, he gives good speech. Certainly on the various demos I'd seen him speak at. If I remember correctly, one day we had himself, JC, Tony Benn and the great Jesse Jackson. Sadly, the latter's style didn't really work on the London crowds and was met with gentle bemusement.

“I regularly state that I have no interest in other countries, but I’ll spend an inordinate amount of time commenting on the mayor of the city of another country of which I have no interest in.”

Doubt he'll win, but I'd like to see Lawrence Fox get the nod. Anyone would be better than woke race-baiter Khan.

Doubt he'll win, but I'd like to see Lawrence Fox get the nod

He’s a hysterical conspiracy theorist. I can imagine him soiling himself while having a meltdown when claiming election fraud after this. These types are best off in the acting world. They’d be pretty much unemployable anywhere else. Maybe conspiracy theory podcasts or talk shows.

Binface is more serious than this.