Boris starts re-election bid with 55% satisfaction rating

By Tim Montgomerie

Isabel Oakeshott's recent Sunday Times story about Boris quitting has proven to be nonsense. Further confirmation - if it was needed - that Sunday newspaper stories need to be read with large doses of salt.

He has just told LBC's Nick Ferrari that he will be seeking re-election in 2012.

ConservativeHome has learnt that 55% of Londoners are satisfied with the Mayor of London's performance and just 15% dissatisfied. This +40% gap, revealed by internal polling conducted at City Hall, is a massive contrast with Ken Livingstone's pre-election numbers. In 2008 46% were satisfied with Ken Livingstone's performance but many more, 39%, were dissatisfied.

Boris will face a tough re-election battle given the likely impact on Conservative ratings of the looming public spending squeeze. Boris is, nonetheless, determined to paint himself as an independent Conservative. He has fought public battles with the Treasury in defence of investment in London's transport infrastructure and, only last night, in opposition to the Coalition's immigration cap. Like Ken Livingstone, Boris Johnson understands that a cardboard-cut-out party candidate cannot win London. His position on immigration, nonetheless, risks upsetting Conservatives from outer London who got him elected last time.

Lynton Crosby, the Australian strategist who led Boris' successful 2008 campaign, will be back in charge this time.

The re-election website is already live. It's looking good.

If you are going to the Birmingham Party Conference don't miss our Rally for Boris on the Sunday evening:

Full details of the ConHome fringe programme are here.