First London, then the UK? Mayor eyes key poll winReported by MyNorthwest.com on Wednesday, 2 May 2012 (on May 2, 2012)
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Associated Press LONDON (AP) - Its an Olympic tussle _ an election battle to win control of Londons City Hall just weeks before hundreds of thousands of athletes and spectators arrive in the British capital for the Summer Games. But local elections being held Thursday across Britain, including a vote for Londons next mayor, could have more far-reaching repercussions _ catapulting Boris Johnson, the capitals famously unkempt, outspoken but well-liked leader on a path to national power. Prime Minister David Camerons Conservative Party, which leads Britains coalition government, is expected to lose hundreds of seats in elections for about 180 municipal authorities in England, Wales and Scotland. Voters are expected to shun his party, weary over the biting cuts to services and welfare that Camerons austerity measures have delivered and concerned over the British economys lurch back into recession. But while Cameron sees his poll ratings plummet, his Conservative colleague Johnson _ a long time friend and rival _ is on course to trounce other contenders to lead London. Johnson has used his four-year tenure as mayor to advocate lower taxes and a referendum on leaving the European Union _ ideas that appeal to rank and file Conservatives _ while Cameron has struggled to accommodate demands from his coalition partners, the centrist Liberal Democrats. Many grass-roots Conservatives grumble over Camerons failure to win Britains 2010 national election outright, which locked them in an awkward coalition government. Vernon Bogdanor, a political analyst at Kings College London who previously taught Cameron at Oxford University, said Johnson could capitalize on a growing influence of city mayors in Britains political life. "If Boris Johnson was to win the London mayoral election, even though the Conservatives are so far behind in national opinion polls, he would be seen as a potential party leader," Bogdanor said. A victory for Johnson would "have a very dynamic effect on British politics," he said. Most polls show Camerons Conservatives trailing the main opposition Labour party by about 10 percentage points, while Johnson holds a lead of around 12 points over his Labour challenger Ken Livingstone in surveys on the London race. Though 47-year-old Johnson, born in New York, shares the same elite background as Cameron, his rumpled appearance, florid speaking style and frequent _ sometimes offensive _ gaffes give him a populist appeal. "Its much more frequent on the continent, but here, at least before the London mayoralty, to be credible as a political leader you had to be a parliamentarian _ now you dont ...
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