The Million Vote Mandate

Report on the Challenges Boris Faces

Author: James Morris and Natalie Evans   |   01/06/2008

Boris Johnson was elected Mayor of London on May 2nd with over 1 million votes. The first one million vote mandate for a Mayor of London since the creation of the position eight years ago. The Mayor of London is now, arguably, the second most powerful politician in the UK after the Prime Minister. After eight years of Mayor Livingstone the election of Boris Johnson represents a fresh start for London. The new Mayor will come under intense scrutiny over the coming months and years as London voters and the media look to see how he tackles the big strategic issues which the capital faces. After eight years of a directly elected London Mayor nobody is arguing for the abolition of London government. For all the faults of Mayor Livingstone he did succeed in putting the position of Mayor on the political map. The question now for Boris Johnson is how he can shape the position according to a new set of governing principles and really make an impact on shaping London’s future.

This report offers the perspective of several leading London experts and commentators on a range of big, high impact issues which will challenge the new Mayor and his team. Boris Johnson is a big personality and the London electorate found that very appealing; but how can he develop a distinctive governing style? How should he shape the institutions and structure of London government over the next four years? What are the challenges he will face around the large scale infrastructure challenges of Crossrail and the Olympics where he has inherited financial structures and public expectations created by the former Mayor? How can he rise to the challenge of dealing with the scourge of violent crime in London and make the Metropolitan Police more effective? How can he take steps to improve the quality of life for everyone across the capital? And what lessons can he learn from New York’s experience? He has already taken advice from Michael Bloomberg; but what are the real lessons from the last two decades of New York City government?

These questions are important because how the Mayor responds to them will shape public and media perceptions of the success or failure of his first term. It will also determine whether they will entrust him with a second.