London 2008

[minionofmidas]

like-a-fishhook news reports that Al has been hanged in Merthyr Tydfil.

[minionofmidas]

like-a-fishhook news reports that Al has been hanged in Merthyr Tydfil.

Richard Lewis was actually hanged in Cardiff

Sorry... :/

[minionofmidas]

So what was the final result of that primary?

[minionofmidas]

Boris Johnson says 'no thanks' to BNP support.

I utterly and unreservedly condemn the BNP and have no desire whatsoever to receive a single second preference vote from a BNP supporter. 

Didn't say anything about their first preferences so the headline is misleading.

[minionofmidas]

Boris Johnson says 'no thanks' to BNP support.

I utterly and unreservedly condemn the BNP and have no desire whatsoever to receive a single second preference vote from a BNP supporter. 

Didn't say anything about their first preferences so the headline is misleading.

He was responding specifically to the BNP requesting those who vote for them second preference Johnson.

That much was obvious.

[minionofmidas]

Boris Johnson says 'no thanks' to BNP support.

I utterly and unreservedly condemn the BNP and have no desire whatsoever to receive a single second preference vote from a BNP supporter. 

Didn't say anything about their first preferences so the headline is misleading.

He was responding specifically to the BNP requesting those who vote for them second preference Johnson.

That much was obvious.

So whats the problem? Unless you think that Labour and the Tories shouldn't lance the boil by getting potential BNP voters to stick with the sane parties

What else would he have said? This isn't news.
It would have been newsworthy (it would also have hurt his campaign, obviously) if he'd said, "That's great, we need every vote!" Of course, he's hoping to get those votes anyways.
It might also have been newsworthy (and raised a chuckle here. But again, would have hurt him electorally) if he'd gone even further and insulted them a little to make sure he really doesn't get their votes. But he wouldn't do that, would he? After all, he actually wants their votes - he just doesn't want to be seen as courting BNP votes.
Again, all of this is perfectly understandable and almost unavoidable. But it isn't commendable.

[minionofmidas]

Speaking of the BNP:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7326987.stm

Glad he's gone.

You seem not to realize quite how attached women are to their handbags.

[minionofmidas]

One of those silly who-should-you-vote-for thingies:

http://london.votematch.co.uk/

I got:

1. Livingstone
2. Paddick
3. Berry
4. German
5. Craig
6. O'Connor
7. McKenzie
8. Johnson
9. Batten
10. Barnbrook

I got:

Ken Livingstone (Labour)      
Siân Berry (Green Party)      
Lindsey German (Left List)      
Brian Paddick (Liberal Democrats)      
Matt O'Connor (English Democrats)      
Alan Craig (Christian Peoples Alliance / Christian Party)      
Boris Johnson (Conservatives)      
Winston Mckenzie      
Gerrard Batten (UKIP)      
Richard Barnbrook (BNP)

and

The Labour Party      
Green Party      
Unity for Peace and Socialism      
Left List      
Respect (George Galloway)      
Liberal Democrats      
English Democrats      
Abolish the Congestion Charge      
The Christian Choice      
Conservative Party      
UK Independence Party      
One London (Leader Damian Hockney)      
British National Party 

...although it's actually a tie for second, and what's quite probably the minimum possible difference between those and first place. Another tie between ED and Abolish Sanity.

[minionofmidas]

Bizarre. Like your politics.

[minionofmidas]

The “supplementary vote” has never mattered much before in London, where Mr Livingstone has won the past two elections comfortably. (By contrast, three of England's 12 other elected mayors have at one point taken office only thanks to second preferences.)

Uh. Ken Livingstone was twice elected on supplementary votes.

EDIT: Correction- tricky wording there. Although Ken Livingstone never won a majority of the vote, his first pref. tally was in both 2000 and 2004 higher than Steven Norris' post-transfer total (in 2000, it was actually higher than Norris' first and second pref.s total. In 2004 it wasn't - but that's because you have to subtract the 1.Ken, 2.Norris votes from that.)