Blaming Livingstone

Ken Livingstone will lose on Thursday unless he's able to turn things around in the next few days. With most postal votes already in and all polls (bar UNISON's) predicting a Boris Johnson win there is an up hill struggle ahead. Ken's already been speculating on what he'll do next. The signs are bad.

He's certain to come in the top two, no one else comes near, so it's still completely safe to vote Sian Berry first preference but all the indications are that the Bullingden Club Bore is going to take it.

You can pity the Tory Party as much as London if you like as they'll have a fully revved gaffe machine in the highest English office, outside of Parliament, but even I wouldn't sacrifice London just to ensure the Tories lost the next general election. Tempting, but no.

I've noticed some Left List supporters have been very critical of Livingstone in this period, being rather bullish about the prospect of his defeat. Guy Taylor (who's a very decent chap and supremo of Globalise Resistance, a group that only exists on paper) on a thread at Lenin's Tomb essentially saying the "only person Livingstone can blame is Livingstone" (I'm afraid I don't have time to find the link, perhaps later, apologies).

True enough. Livingstone has not always played the cards dealt to him well, and politically his actions fall far short of his Red Ken reputation gained in his younger days. For each unjust and stupid accusation against him there is, unfortunately, another just one. However, this argument leaves me cold. I'm not looking to prepare scapegoats if worst comes to worst. "It was not me guv" simply does not cut any ice.

When Livingstone falls it's only going to be the most oily apologist who passes the buck, "I'm pure," they'll whine, "and I told you he was rubbish time and again" as they cower in the Johnsonian post-apocalyptic rubble.

There is no reason to vote Labour on any other ballot paper than that of London Mayor, and even there it's a more effective vote to place them second, but that is definitely where your mark must go to prevent one of the most incompetent and reactionary politicians from gaining control of London. This last week is about maximising the progressive vote and ensuring that we have a half decent and independently minded Mayor.

You can keep any finger pointing you were thinking of doing to yourself thank you.