Sadiq Khan has said throughout the London mayoral campaign that he is in a ‘close two horse race’. He was even photographed with two horses in April, just in case it wasn’t sinking in.
The same photo opportunity was put on in 2021, when the gap between him and the then Tory candidate, Shaun Bailey, ended up being just 5 percentage points.
Mr Khan has therefore implored Green and Liberal Democrat supporters to ‘lend him their vote’ instead, fearing that voters only being able to select one choice this time around will result in an even smaller gap. All this rhetoric – as well as calling the Conservative candidate, Susan Hall, ‘dangerous’ and comparing her to Donald Trump – has been an effort to instil a bit of fear in Londoners sympathetic to the red team.
Apathy and complacency – fanned by polling that has suggested a large gap between Mr Khan and Ms Hall – could have a significant effect on the result. The Tories want voters to turn out in certain areas that may be more sympathetic to their way of thinking – an obvious example would be Outer London, where the ULEZ was expanded in August.
In Chingford on Wednesday, Ms Hall told party campaigners that they had to ‘get the vote out’. Indeed, in some areas on the city’s outskirts, such as Ealing and Hillingdon and Bexley and Bromley, turnout has been relatively high.
It was 42.98 per cent and 48.38 per cent in those areas respectively, in case you were wondering. This may have sent a shiver down Labour’s spines, as the Tories will be hoping, as was seen in Uxbridge and South Ruislip, this has been fuelled by dissatisfaction with Mr Khan’s policies.
The last thing Mr Khan wants is for Labour supporters to have thought that there is no point in going out and voting for him because he is going to win anyway. Those who are not a fan of the mayor may be affected by this also.
Sarah Jane, 43, a former dinner lady who said she did not support Mr Khan, said to me on the Isle of Dogs last week: “What’s the point of voting if you know they’re going to get in?”
