Reaction To Newsnight Debate

Betting man, Mike Smithson:

"Overnight after the Newsnight debate I closed almost all my Boris positions down on IG, SI, Spreadfair and Betfair - at a profit. I did not find Boris convincing whereas I thought that Ken did well."

I agree. The competence gap really showed, I thought. Also, Livingstone managed to stay calm and made a good move in saying he'd give his second preference to Paddick were it not already pledged to Berry.

I tried to post a question to the Newsnight website before the debate began, but I think it may have been overworked. For the record it was this, for Johnson:

"It is clear that you have worked hard since becoming the Tory candidate to understand the main policy issues relating to London and rowed back from extreme positions on some issues. However, you have no track record of following London issues, you've explained that you cannot announce the members of your mayoral team before polling day, and David Cameron has insisted that you would be your own man at City Hall - not bound by national party policy. Why should Londoners believe that your administration would be competent, moderate and trustworthy?"

Comments

[Phil Taylor]

Dave,

You keep trying to raise Mayor Boris's team as an issue when you know full well that you can't employ people like that.

Even if someone is interested in taking a role they probably already have a job so don't want to be outed if there is a chance you ain't going to get elected. You can't complete an employment process on a contingent basis before you get to City Hall.

AS I have said before the Mayor didn't let on that his "elite" team would be Lee Jasper and his bunch of Socialist Action cronies. I'm pretty sure that Boris can do better than that, much better than that.

[Dave Hill]

I understand the reasons, Phil, why Boris feels unable to name his team prior to the election. Even so, I think it would help him if he could. That's because if his line-up was impressive and comprised moderate people it would give some reassurance to voters who are worried that Boris either isn't competent or has a hidden Thatcherite (or whatever) agenda. Therefore the fact that voters can't know who will be helping him put his policies into effect is a relevant issue to raise. Whatever voters think of Livingstone's people, at least they know who they will be.