London to vote for mayor in May

19 Feb, 2012

The elections for mayor of London on 3 May are too close to call at the moment, with the present mayor Boris Johnson (Conservative party) fighting it out against the ex-mayor Ken Livingstone (Labour party).

A recent YouGov poll puts Johnson ahead by just two points, 51 to 49, having been eight points behind his rival at the end of last year. They are set to face each other in a debate on 21 February at Friends House in Euston.

Livingstone is pledging to cut public transport fares and make life difficult for bankers. Johnson says he will cut council tax, make savings at city hall and crack down on crime. Both programmes are popular with voters.

There is third candidate, Liberal Democrat Brian Paddick. He is trailing the other two but if neither Johnson nor Livingstone receive an outright majority Paddick