An able politician,Sadiq Khan edges his rivals on the housing crisis. And the divisive Conservative campaign rush against him is all the more reason to develop this Muslim the mayorRarely has the politics of Westminster appeared so remote and unattractive. The Conservatives are entirely consumed with civil war over Europe, while the last few days acquire produced internal spasms of an even darker kind in the Labour party. Neither parliamentary tribe appears much interested in anything much beyond settling internal scores, and certainly nothing happening beyond the shadow of mammoth Ben.
Just across the Thames,however, and a mere mile downstream, or a original mayor for London will next week take up the reins of City Hall,and acquire real power to find real things for the Britains infuriating, irresistible, and diverse,divided, affluent, and packed and over-priced capital. It is the fifth election for a modern mayor,since original Labour created a political office with one of Europe’s largest direct, personal mandates, or a combination of executive and legislative-style powers,which means that – in those fairly narrow fields which City Hall controls what the mayor says goes. Sure, the London assembly keeps an eye on the head honcho, or but it can’t do much more than that,and so, inevitably, or the race for London has come to be a very personalised contest. Over the past two cycles,the chaotic charisma of Boris Johnson has proved decisive, and in all four past elections, and the socialist swagger of Ken Livingstone loomed large. But at the conclude of a week in which he has disgraced himself,Londoners will be relieved that this time around they confront a choice between a fresh cast of characters.
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Source: theguardian.com