Big Issue founder John Bird may be Cameron's candidate for London Mayor

The Observer's Pendennis column adds another name to the long list of potential Conservative candidates to oust Ken Livingstone.  That name is John Bird, campaigner for Britain's homeless.  Mr Bird founded the hugely successful Big Issue magazine as a way of generating both work and income for the homeless.  John Bird, who has appeared on webcameron and spoke at a recent Tory conference on social responsibility, would reportedly focus on an overhaul of London's prisons and congestion charge.  If he had sufficient credibility amongst London's Tories his anti-poverty credentials could ensure him plenty of second preference votes amongst lefter-leaning voters.

Comments

[Paul Kennedy]

An interesting possibility and certainly one that should not be discounted lightly. It will take a Conservative candidate with something extra, something a bit special, something a bit different, to unseat the incumbent, a well rooted incumbent who seems to have a broad (ish) appeal.

[Mark McCartney]

No doubt Mr Bird is a very worthy individual.

Sadly, there appears to be no evidence whatsoever to suggest that he is a Conservative.

The message seems to be that Cameron is now clutching at any possible straw. Previous suggestions (eg Nick Ferrari) have turned out to be extremely antagonistic to Cameron's party.

Maybe Dave should stand himself.

[Tory T]

This would be one of the best possible chloices for London Mayor and one of the best possible candidates to stand as a Conservative.

He is the epitome of compassionate conservatism and shows that individuals, not the State, often have the answer. He empowers the poor with more than a handout and uses the dignity of work to help the homeless.

It is truly thrilling that he would think of standing for Mayor of London for the party.

Please Mr. Bird, stand - you will win in a landslide.

[kingbongo]

Sadly, there appears to be no evidence whatsoever to suggest that he is a Conservative.

yes, starting a business to help people be self sufficient and show them that they don't need to look to thestate for all the answers is no way of demonstrating a Conservative frame of mind.

[Cllr Keith Standring]

Tory T @ 11:50 AM "He is the epitome of compassionate conservatism and shows that individuals, not the State, often have the answer."

Before we get too carried away with the possibility of John Bird as a Conservative candidate for London Mayor, I understand over many years he was very sympathetic towards and associated with the Trotskyist movement, including the Workers Revolutionary Party.

I do not rule out conversion, but shouldn't someone at CCCO check it out?

[Ex Candidate]

Is John Bird a member of the Conservative Party? If not, he should not be considered as suitable to be the Mayoral candidate.

All candidates (for local, national or European elections) should have been active and committed members of the Party for at least five years. Defectors from other parties must viewed with scepticism.

[Yet Another Anon]

The position for London Mayor seems quickly to have become one of what are effectively Independents standing - Ken Livingstone was only readopted by Labour because he happened to be Mayor and it statistically added to how their performance looked, didn't change his policies at all, would John Bird be much different from Ken Livingstone? Or even James Whale who is probably going to be UKIP's candidate?

[Yet Another Anon]

Surely if John Bird was going to be endorsed as an alternative, it might be better just not to put up an official candidate and encourage other parties to back him too as an Independent, surely he is someone who the Liberal Democrats and Green Party might back as well if he was standing as an Independent rather than as an official party candidate. There are too many party people in Local Government, Local and Devolved Government needs more Independents and I suspect that most people who voted for Red Ken last time did so because he was still seen as being an Independent and it is probable that an Independent will succeed him.

[Les]

I agree with ex-candidate, the Conservative party is not a football team and shouldn't be buying-in candidates based on their 'celebrity'.

What message does this send to hard-working activists who aspire to public office?

Who next--Jade Goody?

[You must be joking]

Come on Central Office. Take this seriously please. Francis Maude may no nothing about what it takes to be an effective, plausible candidate. That doesn't mean the same should be said about our London Mayoral candidate. This is a complex and difficult election. I worry that the Chairman doesn't understand it and that our party will pay the price for that.

[Cllr Iain Lindley]

All candidates (for local, national or European elections) should have been active and committed members of the Party for at least five years.

I wonder how many Conservative local government candidates we would actually field in most authorities if this was in the rulebook?

[London Salmon]

Good point about the second preference appeal, under the warped electoral system introduced by Labour any Tory candidate must lean to the centre/left in order to make the final hurdle, or see his/her chances disappear with the Lib Dem second preferences.....

[Matt Davis]

John Bird is a true social entrepreneur, a man who has made a genuine difference to people's lives whom I admire greatly. However he isn't a Conservative, at least not if the editorial line and content of the Big Issue are anything to go by anyway. Surely it cannot be beyond the resources of the Conservative Party to find a Tory with a) The political skills b)the charisma c) the existing public recognition d)the ability to run London well once elected & e) the desire to win the Mayoralty.

[matt wright]

I've always thought Boris would be ideal for the London Mayor,

Matt

[Cllr Keith Standring]

Yet Another Anon @ 01:58 PM "Ken Livingstone was only readopted by Labour because he happened to be Mayor and it statistically added to how their performance looked, didn't change his policies at all, would John Bird be much different from Ken Livingstone?"

Yes he would be different in that he'd make Red Ken look like Genghis Khan.

As a Britsh patriot myself, I want to believe Dave is looking to represent the best interests of the British people. If this is so, he should more closely examine the actual postion of those he seems to be promoting, before he is devoured by political forces about which he seems largely ignorant and about which he has no experience.

[Mark Loveday]

I'm sorry. Perhaps you all need to go back to square one to ask why you are in politics. Is it to get someone (no matter how mediocre) onto a ballot paper - provided they have a blue rosette on their lapel? Or is it to get our principles carried into practice?

Better to back an independent with a chance of toppling Livingstone than to run another worthy but ultimately unsucessful campaign in 2008. It's all a bit Don Quixote at the moment...

Have any of you any idea quite how damaging Livingstone will be for Londoners after the GLA Bill comes into force?

[Tory Solicitor]

I agree that any candidate for the mayoralty, among many other things, should have been a party member for at least 5 years

[TimberWolf]

Matt - Boris after Norris? What sort of message does that send to the voters of London about Conservative standards?

[Justin Hinchcliffe]

He'd get my vote!

[johnny void]

we're lovin' it, the poor guys gonna face a rout

"We smiled when we read that Big Issue tycoon and former(?) villain John Bird is planning to stand as London mayor next year. According to the Evening sub-Standard old Birdy is quite likely to stand as a tory candidate. Yup, the sell out socialist is finally set to reveal his true colours as an enemy of the working class.

So he should give scab Ken a run for his money.

It's good news though here at the void.

Have we got gossip, filing cabinets full of it mate, we also have information, criticisms that can't be ignored, and best of all ... dirt.

We're not the only ones either, and here's betting we're not the only ones digging. So bring it on yer true blue twats, we're ready for ya!

Ken, don't see this as an endorsement, your time will come."

http://johnnyvoid.blogspot.com

[Paul Bradshaw]

Let's have Steve Norris, he's tough but populist, knows how this election works, has actually run big parts of the city, and has style and charm. Plus he has actually won more in his life than a local council election. It's about time Tories got real.