Jenny Jones AM seeks Mayoral nomination

Tomorrow Jenny Jones will be announcing her intention to seek the Green Party's nomination to run for London Mayor in 2012. Jenny has been an outstanding London Assembly Member from the very beginning in 2000 and is a very capable and likable politician.

Although I've yet to make my mind up about who I'll be supporting for the role Jenny will be a strong contender for my pick.

It's no secret that I have significant political differences with Jenny around policing issues, where I think she has always been too willing to see the police's side of any question, but I've never confused this with the idea that she is unwilling to criticise the police (she is, for example when she was the instigator of reopening the investigation into Blair Peach's death) or the fact that she is an excellent and radical green politician.

I've never been one of those who expect 100% agreement with a politician in order to give them my support. If she is selected by the Green Party, I will be extremely happy to give her my first preference (and probably Ken number two, as long as he behaves).

According to the ever excellent Mayor Watch;

The party will announce its candidate in March following a ballot of all London members.

Jones will be joined her bid by fellow Assembly Member Darren Johnson who will serve as her running mate. Johnson unsuccessfully stood as Mayor in the 2000 and 2004 elections...

In a statement Jones said the capital “desperately needs the green measures that a Green Mayor would introduce for a cleaner, safer city. Whether it’s cleaning up on air pollution, investing in public transport, increasing the supply of affordable homes, or keeping the police local, Greens deliver on their promises and work for the whole of London.”

For me I'm going to wait and see who else announces their intention to run before making up my mind on who I'll be supporting for my first preference (Greens use STV in internal elections) and I'm hoping we'll have at least one or two more high quality candidates to choose from to make the race truly competitive.

Certainly one of her strengths will be that she knows exactly what is expected of a Green Party Mayoral candidate and, as a disciplined and intelligent campaigner, would be a safe pair of hands for the role in my opinion.