Thread by @Andrewwood17

Thread on next Mays London elections, why I won't vote for Shaun Bailey & why you should not vote Labour in London wide list
This is very early but it has been obvious for months that London is already being directly impacted by the election
e.g. arguments TfL funding, ULEZ &
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Hammersmith bridge
The government are having a go at Sadiq Khan hoping it helps Shaun Bailey + send messages to north England
Sadiq Khan is having a go at the government for a variety of reasons, some political & some legitimate in his role as Mayor
London caught in the middle
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Why not Shaun Bailey?
I like Shaun, I really wish he had been elected as an MP last December, Parliament is the right place for him
But I do not think he would make a good Mayor of London
That is almost entirely influenced by his campaign (or should I say lack of it)
If you
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cannot run a campaign effectively then that might suggest you might not be a good Mayor who has extensive executive responsibilities
As far as I know, he has only been to Tower Hamlets once in early 2019, I never met him
Rory Stewart came more often in his leadership campaign
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But nothing about his campaign since selected in 2018 makes me think either he or the Conservative Party actually expect him to win next May
There is a lot to criticise about Sadiq Khan's performance as Mayor but it is only partially being done by Shaun
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Is Sadiq Khan a great Mayor?
No, he is Ok. He has made some mistakes, but has learned to change his mind at least when he has to
Rotherhithe bridge & voting in estate regen, for example
He is too political & too tribal, other Labour Mayors have worked better with government
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where it is in their resident's interest
But whether you like him or not, polling suggests he will win next May (for a 3 year term due to election delay)
It is hard to see how Shaun or another contender could catch up in that time
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But reminder you are making three choices next May;
a. Mayor of London
b. Local member of the London Assembly for City & East, given this, is very strong Labour area I expect Unmesh Desai to win again (more later)
c. London wide list Assembly Members (cover whole of London)
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If Sadiq Khan wins then he needs strong scrutiny by the London Assembly, that is best done by non-Labour assembly members
They perform a similar role to me at a London wide level
If you vote for Sadiq Khan then in the London wide list you need to balance him with people who
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can scrutinise the Mayor effectively without tribal political concerns
That suggest Conservative, Green or Lib-Dem votes only in the London wide list
Unless you think a 2nd term Mayor Sadiq Khan needs no scrutiny?
So my aim will be to encourage differential voting next May
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