Boris wins 79% in mayoral vote

Boris Johnson: 15,661 (79.0%)
Victoria Borwick: 1,869 (9.4%)
Andrew Boff: 1,674 (8.4%)
Warwick Lightfoot: 609 (3.1%)

CCHQ have released the following statements...

Caroline Spelman: “I am delighted to announce Boris Johnson as the Conservative Mayoral candidate. Running a London wide open primary is a first in British politics. I would like to thank all our excellent candidates for the hard work they have put in. By opening up the process and running open hustings we have given all Londoners the chance to vote on the Conservative appointment and influence the outcome. The Conservative Party can now unite behind Boris to offer the people of London a real alternative to the misgovernment of London that we have seen for the past 8 years.”

David Cameron: “Boris will be an excellent candidate and I know the Party will unite behind him to remove Ken Livingstone from office. It’s about time that all Londoners had the chance to vote for real change.”

Boris Johnson: “I’d like to thank Londoners for giving me this opportunity.   As I visited all of London’s 32 boroughs in the last few weeks, the message is loud and clear – King Newt’s days are numbered. Across London I’ve met people fed up with paying so much to city hall and getting so little in return.  The job of the Mayor is simple - to get people to work on time, to ensure people feel safe on the streets, to help people find a place to call home, to celebrate our diversity and to champion our success.  My determination to lead this city is stronger than ever. After seeing both the good and bad that London has to offer, I am committed to making London greater and standing up for every Londoner that invests so heavily in our city.  I want to be a Mayor for all Londoners, from Zone 6 to Zone 1. A Mayor that will listen, will learn and will lead.”

Comments

[Veritas]

So all Londoners could vote and fewer than 20,000 actually do. Should be a riveting contest and I am sure Ken can't wait to beat Alexander.

[Derek Tomnay]

So Boris...what will it be..if there's an election. Will you stand down in Henley or will you contest Henley and then force a by election if you become Mayor?

Interesting choices!

[Graham Checker]

Well done Boris!!

Keep it measured, serious and professional - and you won't screw it up ;-)

Good luck!

[Ephraim Gadsby]

Oh dear. This is a long campaign, what are the odds on Boris getting through it without dropping multiple serious and embarrassing clangers?

Just when the party seems to be coming to its senses, why select the one candidate who makes Ken look like a serious heavyweight politician?

[David Gold]

Congratulations Boris. I look forward to working with you for a great result in May 2008.

[Tony Makara]

Boris is a person of all the talents! A man with a brilliant mind and a robust attitude to life. Boris Johnson is tailor made for mayor of London. Good luck Boris!

[Treacle]

Well done Boris, now lets get on with it.

With all due respect to the other three candidates you should have done the sensible thing weeks ago

We have wasted 3 months and god knows how much money in this pointless ballot that London was apparently gasping for.

3 months in which Boris could have attacked Livingstone.

Nice one Francis Maude, a good use of time and resources - want to modernise anything else sometime soon?

[James Cleverly]

Ephraim,

You just don't get it do you! The Conservatives didn't pick Boris, London did.

[Peter]

Well done all the candidates and to a great victory for Boris next year in the Mayor election.

[Nutter]

Of course, had Simon Fawthrop been running, Boris wouldn't have stood a chance.

[BorisforPM]

Great news - a real libertarian heavyweight with good recognition and some real ideas.

And, Derek Tomnay, Boris has said that he won't resign from Henley to contest the Mayoralty, but that he would do so were he elected mayor. So that would force a by-election, yes. As a constituent of Boris's, I think that's exactly the right approach. After all, whilst we can never take these things for granted, a by-election in Henley isn't really likely to precipitate any great upset. :)

[Ephraim Gadsby]

You just don't get it do you! The Conservatives didn't pick Boris, London did.

Well, perhaps that is the problem - London hasn't been a beacon of Conservatism in recent years. Asking your opponents to select your candidate for you is asking for trouble.

[Richard]

Well done Boris!

I can't actually believe that there are 1,869 people out there that thought Victoria Borwick should be the Conservative candidate for mayor.

[Londoner]

Congratulations Boris. I hope all those carpers on this site, basically the inverse snob chip-on-the-shoulder wing of the party, can now accept that they are in a small minority in not clearly seeing that he is a strong candidate, and will now get behind Boris (who incidentally gave a good interview on the Today programme this morning).

Warwick deserved to do better compared with the other two and I suspect will have had many Boris second choice votes (although his last minute attack on Boris on PFI may have harmed him).

It was NOT a waste of time. Boris was tested in the hustings etc, he will have heard the others' ideas and can pick and mix the best ones, and no-one can say that he was parachuted in by some London mafia. The party in London should be very grateful to the three other candidates for stimulating the contest, and for keeping the process going over the last year.

The number voting is disappointing but hardly surprising as the result was so obvious. Nor did CCHQ help by not seeming to bother about publicising it to Londoners (where were the ads in the London freebie papers urging people to vote AND send their ideas, answer surveys on concerns etc, on a specially set up website?) It would be interesting to know what the membership is reckoned to be in London and how many non-members voted. Anyone know the former?

Boris should ignore people telling him to stand down from Henley if there is an early election. He has done us signal service by stepping up to the plate for this and should not be asked to risk political oblivion. If he fights a good campaign and loses by a whisker, we might welcome someone whom people have heard of, with enhanced credibility from his campaign, in the Shadow Cabinet, so why close off that option? He has said he will step down as an MP if he wins the Mayoraltythat should be enough. A by-election in Henley, only taking place immediately after the boost of winning London, should not be daunting.

[Nick]

Here's an idea - why doesn't Boris pledge that if he gets elected as Mayor he will take on all three of the other candidates as Deputy Mayors?

(perhaps plus the excellent Lee Rotherham?)

That would show Big Tent strength and open-mindedness and would mean you'd have Bozza doing the figurhead work, Borwick doing her good stuff on law and order, Boff doing public services and community and Lightfoot doing the economics/number crunching. A dream team!

[Nick]

Given previous Tory cock-ups when choosing the candidate for London Mayor (remember Jeffrey Archer?), this makes for a refreshing change. An open selection contest, and a serious, high-level candidate in place months in advance.

Now can he start to attack that leftie idiot Livingstone at once, please?

[Moral minority]

Heavyweight? If Boris is such a great Mayoral candidate, why did Cameron think that Boris is not good enough for the shadow cabinet? His massive victory, despite poor performances at the hustings, only highlights the poor choice that we had. I suppose we should be thankful that we had a vote rather than Greg Dyke imposed on us as Cameron wanted.

Boris is amusing and I like his politics. I not want him (or Red Ken or any of the Lib Dem nobodies) to run London. I can only hope that an genuine heavyweight, with proven experience of delivering change, runs as an Independent.

[Catriona Mackenzie]

Well done Boris. Let's all pull together now and get that money wasting, arrogant Livingstone OUT.

Sorry to Andrew Boff I thought you would have made an excellent mayor.

[Alexander Ellis]

Congrats Boris. I'm looking forward to workig with you over the next few months.

[Malcolm Dunn]

Now he's won I wish Boris all the very best in beating Livingstone. I don't think it will be easy but if anyone can that man could be Boris.
I totally disagree with you Londoner about Henley.Steve Norris was undone by his refusal to quit Jarvis I would hate to see Boris make the same mistake.

[Rachel Joyce]

Well done Boris. I look forward to seeing him in Harrow again.

[Matt Wright]

I think he will be refreshingly good, right for London and can beat Ken whatever crap Labour try to chuck his way.

[london conservative]

I think on merit, while lacking the name recognition of Boris Johnson even among party members, Andrew Boff deserved to do better than Victoria Borwick. Perhaps there was an element of tactial voting there?

Does anyone know if the party released figures for how many members of the party and how many members of the public voted?

[Arthurian Legend]

Rejoice. Rejoice. Rejoice.

[Effie]

This is a gift to Labour thank you very, very much David Cameron..Well done.
Now I would hazard a guess that Boris will drop his first gaff well before the end of October, then they will come fast and furious right up to the run-up to the next election.
Oh! Thank you David Cameron another horlicks to add to the many!!!

[Edison Smith]

Spelman emphasises "The Conservative Party can now unite..."

She shouldn't just be aiming that comment at the Majoral race.

[David Lindsay]

So the Tories are going to nominate Boris Johnson for Mayor of London, not least thanks to the saturation coverage of him in media that simply ignored all other candidates.

This man is not a charmingly "gaffe-prone" eccentric. He is a casual racist who cannot see the problem. He supports the legal indulgence of cannabis use and of Islamic polygamy. And he is a member of the Bullingdon Club, an organisation which would wreak havoc with what little remains of our democracy if the present controlling Tory faction ever attained any significant office, including this one. He must be stopped.

Not that Livingstone is any better. Where is the social-democratic, morally and socially conservative, patriotic voice of English-speaking, Christian London, black and white? I am no big fan of STV, but it could do wonders here if the right candidate came forward. So where are you?

[Dave Bartlett]

Mr Johnson was interviewed on the Today programme this morning.

[a-tracy]

We like him, comments "he's old school", "a smashing guy", "very friendly", and "a straight talker".

This will light up the Mayoral competition.

[CDM]

An excellent result.

Who knows, we might win!

[Matt Wright]

I see Browns apologists are out again today with their super-spin. They must be worried. I think Boris could do it.

I notice we've also got £1 Million from JJB sports founder as like most of us he's pee'd of with crime and wants a new approach.

Good news. Lets get on with the task in hand,

Matt

[Ephraim Gadsby]

He has said he will step down as an MP if he wins the Mayoraltythat should be enough. A by-election in Henley, only taking place immediately after the boost of winning London, should not be daunting.

Hang on, there's a potentially serious clash here. What happens if, as I personally think is quite likely, Brown calls the general election next spring - possibly on the same day as the mayoral and local elections? Will Boris fight both elections at the same time? If so, which one should we assume he wants to win?

[Londoner]

Malcolm Dunn - I think the Jarvis position was entirely different as (a) it was a conflict of interest and (b) the company was in deep trouble at the time. Also many people drew the distinction between the leadership role at Jarvis of Chairman and having just remained as a non-exec. Remaining a backbench MP is more akin to being an NED.

Boris has already successfully combined several other jobs with being an MP, including editing the Spectator and continued other journalism. No-one thought Ken was not serious because he remained an MP when he was standing (and the fact that it was a London seat, before people say it, makes little difference to this).

It is just not reasonable to expect him to give up his insurance policy or indeed to put his constituency party in the position of having to select another candidate at breakneck speed if an election is called between now and next May. He can spin it positively: "To give up ones present job to apply for another would be somewhat arrogant. How many people do that in real life? I would not be so presumptive as to assume that the electors of London have already definitely accepted my application, but I intend to strive ceaselessly to convince them that they should."

[Mountjoy]

Ken Livingstone is one of the most disastrous things that has happened to London in a long time. His congestion charge, as well as a lot of other ill thought out policies, have not helped London to develop to its full potential. Yes, it is a successful city but it is one that is blighted by a number of problems that Red Ken is incapable, ideologically, of tackling.

That is why London needs a man like Boris Johnson, who has won 79% of the Conservative primary for London mayor, and who appeals to people across the political spectrum. He has added some excitement to politics in London and only he can beat Livingstone.

Boris is a brilliant man with a remarkable ancestry, including his great grandfather Turkish politician Ali Kemal and he is also descended on one side of his family from the Fawcetts, as outlined in Andrew Gimson’s book on Boris. He is just what London needs to turn back the tide of 10 years of Labour and about the same length of time of Ken.

[london conservative]

"Boris has already successfully combined several other jobs with being an MP, including editing the Spectator and continued other journalism."

Ask Michael Howard or William Hague if they think that is true.

"He can spin it positively..."

Not on the Today programme, apparently.

[Londoner]

I meant successfully in terms of time management. I am not suggesting it was sensible for a frontbencher to edit a magazine from the point of view of conflicting loyalties to editorial freedom and collective responsibility. This does not arise in being a backbench MP and Mayoral candidate at the same time.

But generally, as regards the tone of your comments, if you are really a London Conservative (not sure if the lower case is deliberate), isn't the time when your personal criticisms should stop and everyone should now get behind Boris and his 79%? This now becomes serious. It's Boris v. Ken. Which do you want? Any Conservative, and many others besides, have a very clear answer to that (clue: it's not Ken). If you can't say anything helpful between now and next May, then zip it.

[T. Hurts]

Open letter to David Cameron
27/9/2007

OPEN LETTER to David Cameron... from Steve Pope (editor: The Voice), Michael Eboda (editor: New Nation), Lord Herman Ouseley, and Professor Chris Mullard.

Dear David Cameron ,

Re: Boris Johnson MP

As Boris Johnson is now the official Conservative candidate for the forthcoming elections for the Mayor of London, we write to request that you clearly dissociate yourself personally and your party from his offensive comments that are an inescapable barrier between your party and the black communities in this country.

You will be aware that there has been much discussion and a growing level of serious concern expressed within London’s Caribbean and African communities in relation to this series of offensive statements made by Mr Johnson.

Since he declared his candidacy, the Conservative Party has remained silent on this matter but there is now no reason for you not to clearly dissociate your party from his statements as he is now your official candidate.

Taken together, the series of statements he has made constitute an alarming and consistent trend. The issue goes beyond the London election – it strikes at the heart of the Conservative party’s stated claim to be open to all.

We believe it is no longer credible for such comments to remain without a clear statement from your party – officially – that you reject his language and the statements he has made. For example, Mr Johnson has referred in his own articles to black people as ‘piccaninnies’ and Africans as having ‘water melon smiles’.

He was also quoted by the Observer to have said, whilst in Uganda: ‘Right, let's go and look at some more piccaninnies.’ He has written of Africa that ‘the problem is not that we were once in charge, but that we are not in charge any more’; has described South Africa under Nelson Mandela as the ‘majority tyranny of black rule’; and he has written in relation to African people that ‘left to their own devices, the natives would rely on nothing but the instant carbohydrate gratification of the plantain’.

London is a multicultural city with positive, vibrant and dynamic black communities. We would expect that all parties reject the kind of language used by Mr Johnson.

As you know, Mr Johnson has also written that the Stephen Lawrence inquiry was 'Ceaucescu-ish' ‘hysteria’, with the ‘whiff of a witch-hunt’, and described it as ‘Orwellian’ – comments that have led to him being criticised strongly by Doreen Lawrence, Stephen’s mother.

The Conservative party must confront the serious implications of choosing a candidate with such a track record to lead the most diverse city in Europe. As leader of that party so far you have failed publicly to challenge, acknowledge and recognise the offensive nature of these comments.

We do not accept the claim of Mr Johnson’s supporters that this pattern of repeated language is in some way amusing or ironic; there is no context in which such language can be justified. On the contrary, we believe these statements, along with Mr Johnson’s failure to acknowledge the offensive character of what he has said, raise profound questions about the Conservative party’s relationship with London’s black communities.

All London’s political parties need to ensure that they are unequivocal in their opposition to racism, including the Conservatives. We call on you to now address these issues by stating clearly and without equivocation that there is no place in the Conservative party for the terms used by Mr Johnson in relation to black people, and that you firmly dissociate yourself and the Conservative party from the language that Mr Johnson has used and the comments he has made.

Yours, Lord Herman Ouseley, Michael Eboda, Editor New Nation, Steve Pope, Editor, The Voice, Prof Chris Mullard, Focus Consultancy Ltd

[Phillip Lee]

On behalf of the Conservative Friends of Bangladesh can I congratulate Boris on his selection as candidate to be London's Mayor. We very much look forward to welcoming him to a large event in the East End of London on November 29th arranged by CFOB.

Phillip Lee
Project Director
Conservative Friends of Bangladesh

[eugene]

20 000 is a great deal of people taking part in choosing a candidate.

Boris' 'gaffes' are what make him particularly popular.

...and he has brains.

London is a very lucky city.

[Henry Mayhew - Ukipper]

Great letter chaps. Well Dave, do you dissociate yourself from all this offence that's been caused?

[NDM]

COMMENT OVERWRITTEN BY THE EDITOR.

[James Cleverly]

Did Lord Herman Ouseley, Michael Eboda, Steve Pope and Prof Chris Mullard say anything about Livingstone's comments to Oliver Finegold?

[Anthony Teasdale]

Although he got the lowest vote, the moral victor of the primary campaign is Warwick Lightfoot. He put forward the most serious and coherent manifesto - addressing all the right issues - and has emerged as the Tories' best thinker about policy for London. There should be an important role for him in the party's campaign next year.

[Battered Motorist]

Only one problem, Mountjoy, and that is that the "brilliant" Boris has said that it would be bonkers to scrap the Kengestion charge.

You rightly say that it is an ill-thought out policy, so why the deep seated reluctance?

[Comstock]

To be honest with you, Battered Motorist, I think you are proberbly stuck with the congestion charge. After 4-5 years it seems pretty much embedded.

The real fight ahead is against a satellite tracking charging system, which could cover the whole of Greater London and eventually the whole UK.

That battle is only just begining.

[Battered Motorist]

Comstock. Steve Norris had as official policy in 2004 to scrap the Kengestion Charge. All contracts can be got out of either by mutual negotiation or making use of small print clauses.

The crude charge that Livingstone brought in was effectively a demonstrator project to hype to the rest of the UK and Europe. Now the chickens are coming home to roost.

By coincidence, Transport for London have been looking at just the more sophisticated system you mention. The London Development Agency and two other DA's have each ordered satellites - three are needed to run such a scheme.

The overall blueprint is the EU's for Galileo - which is also to be to puff up the EU as a military power in competition with our American allies.