It’s May 1st-- and all around London, schools, churches, and town halls have been converted into polling stations so the public can decide who will be the town’s mayor for the next 4 years.

London’s current mayor, the unflappable Ken Livingstone, is running again after seeing his residents through turbulent times. While receiving praise for his handling of events like the July 7th terrorist attacks, he’s also been criticized for flaws– including the amount of taxpayers’ money he’s pumped into the upcoming Olympic games.

Ken’s closest competition comes from the flamboyant conservative, Boris Johnson, and the outsider, Liberal Democrats representative Brian Paddick. As a city famous for moaning, it’s important this election that Londoners not sit at home and complain, but have a direct impact on their city's future by getting out to vote. psychoPEDIA joined three young Londoners to bear important opinions on London’s current issues and who they see fit to solve them.

First is Joe Daniel–- co-founder and head of Angular Records, responsible for introducing the world to such acts as Bloc Party, Klaxons, and These New Puritans, and earning Angular the backing of cult-independent Domino Records. Next is lifelong Londoner Marie Berry, the outspoken freelance writer and editor of Knockback Zine– seen by many (including two of England’s biggest selling broadsheets), as one of today’s essential feminist mouthpieces. Lastly is Hanna Hanra, who, having lived in London for 9 years, has seen her fingertips caressing the fillings of many a social pie. A one-time member of art collective !WOWOW!, ex-editor of Super-Super, sought-after DJ, and now, prolific writer and editor for London’s essential underground music paper The Pix, Hanra continues to be centered in the heartbeat of London cool. Here is what the three had to say:

Who will each of you vote for?
HH: I am voting for Boris Johnston because I think he would be rather marvelous.
JD: Ken– I think he's very genuine in his feelings about London, and I think there has been a significant change in the city since he became mayor. He also doesn't come across like a politician, which immediately makes him more believable.
MB: I met Ken at a party once and he was very pleasant, reasonable and honest, which are rare traits in a politician. I think my vote will be more useful given to Ken to keep Johnson out, although I strongly support Sian Berry of the Green Party’s campaign.

Don’t you think London, like America, needs a new face in charge?
MB: I would welcome a new face in City Hall, if there were a candidate who would do as effective a job as Ken has done. Even if there were a need for drastic change, I think it is unrealistic to expect one. Politics moves slowly, if at all, so constant improvement and consideration of the issues is more important than an overhaul.

What issues do you think need to be resolved urgently to make London a better place to live?
HH: More effort to promote recycling– although I live in Hackney, there is no effort made for recycling, not even bottle banks on the street.
MB: My top concerns for London are congestion/transport, environment, and culture.
JD: I like the CO2 charge for 4x4s and other big cars that Ken proposed. But I also think Oyster cards should be for use on all transport systems.
MB: How about banning all cars.

Transport seems to be a common issue for Londoners. Boris seems to think by re-introducing the old Routemaster bus, he can appeal to some of the complainers. Does this win you over as easily?
JD: You can never underestimate dim-witted traditionalists. Having said that, I was quite fond of the Routemaster.
HH: As buses go, they worked better. You could get more people on them, and they surely increased the revenue, as people had to pay and couldn’t skip the bus fares due to the conductors.

Have you been amused by any other laughable policies and vote-winning attempts?
MB: I’m not sure on the most amusing, but the BNPs [The British National Party] call to abolish multi-culturalism is the most offensive.
JD: I thought that Boris' idea to ban drinking on the Tube sounded like a waste of time, and ultimately pointless. It shows his lack of understanding about what problems there are and how to tackle them. But I liked Paddick’s idea of free WiFi for everyone. I would find that useful.

Over the past 4 years, London has witnessed both a terrible terrorist attack and a rise in muggings and knife crime. Do you feel London is generally a fearful place to live?
MB: Fear and paranoia are my main concerns. Terrorism and street crime are equally exploited by mass-media hysteria, though. I am concerned about abuse by fellow Londoners but am safety conscious and realistic, which is difficult considering the constant bombardment of gratuitous headlines regarding both local and international crime.

What would deter you from reinstating Ken Livingstone?
HH: It is unbelievably expensive to travel, and the buses are shit. I’m not sure about all of our money being ploughed into the Olympics when the arts still does not get much support.
MB: While I admire Ken’s stance on most things, and have seen marked improvements, I also worry that the Olympics has overwhelmed more immediate cultural investment. I’m concerned about the closure of venues like the Goodyard (The Key, The Cross etc) and the London Astoria, to make way for developments that aren’t relevant to me. But all the same, under Boris Johnson, I think London would stagnate. I think the good things Ken has done would remain simply because Boris would be pissing the budget up a wall and wanking on about defunct modes of transport.

~Kevin Soar


First photo by kevglobal via Flickr
Second photo by blech via Flickr
Sixth photo by leolondon via Flickr
Seventh photo by nildesperandum via Flickr
Eighth photo by supercamel via Flickr
Ninth photo by benlocker via Flickr
Tenth photo by Liberal Democrats via Flickr
Eleventh photo by teflon via Flickr
Twelfth photo by grievousangel via Flickr