[A-List] UK state: London mayoral election

["Michael Keaney" <michael.keaney@xxxxxx>]

Good to see Tony "Reg Varney" Banks getting short shrift in the internal
selection process for Labour candidate. Not that Gavron is likely to raise
the banner of struggle, but it remains important that Livingstone should win
in 2004, barring any appearance of a stronger left candidate.


Livingstone ally chosen by Labour to stand for mayor

Patrick Wintour, chief political correspondent
Thursday November 7, 2002
The Guardian

Ken Livingstone's chance of a second term as mayor of London got a lift
yesterday when the capital's Labour party chose Nicky Gavron as its
candidate, in preference to former sports minister Tony Banks MP.

The choice will be seen as a blow to Labour officialdom, since Ms Gavron is
sympathetic to the man who will run against her as an independent in the
ballot in 2004. She has promised it will not be a confrontational campaign,
and some suspect she will put up only a token fight. She supports congestion
charging, Mr Livingstone's most controversial policy.

Experienced and personable, Ms Gavron is nevertheless often nervous with
confrontational media. Some union leaders admitted they had voted for her
only because the Labour national executive had blocked Mr Livingstone's
readmission to the party and any opportunity for him to be its candidate.

He had publicly urged Labour members to choose Ms Gavron, and she had said
she would urge London voters to use the second of their two votes to back
the current mayor.

In an electoral college of half each individual members and union
affiliates, Ms Gavron beat Mr Banks by 7%, largely through a strong showing
in the unions. To the dismay of the Banks camp, she also secured a majority
of 70 from the 12,000 individual votes cast.

She got 46.28% in the first round, Mr Banks 38.91%, with Bob Shannon, a
senior trade unionist, 12.67%. With the second preferences of Mr Shannon's
supporters, Ms Gavron defeated Mr Banks by 52.19% to 44.65%.

She described her candidacy as a "huge honour", and said her platform would
be a "faster pace of change" for the capital, and the need for a Labour
mayor who could work with the government to get the resources for that
change. A disappointed Mr Banks congratulated her, saying "the office of
mayor has got to have more powers in legislative terms, and it has got to
have an independent revenue scheme."

The chancellor, Gordon Brown, is known to want to give the mayor tax-raising
powers of the kind given to the Scottish parliament.