Video wars

Tiberius

If Ken thinks he can play the "living in the past" card on any Tory affiliated to the Cameroons, he's even more loony than left than I ever realized.

Vincent McKenzie

Alice's adventures in the 21st Century by Red Ken. "No point going back to try and find a world that's gone".

Jessica

I must admit when I watched the two I thought that Ken's was more optimistic where as the black and white Boris used was too negative and dark. Boris does need to present London as dark and negative under Ken but show how it could be forward thinking and bright under himself. As much as it absolutely pains me to write this Ken is correct on this one but there is three weeks to go and Boris can easily overcome this.

Carol Ann

Boris does need to show his serious side and highlight the failings under Livingstone (and there have been many) but he also needs to be confident and inspiring on how things would be differnet under his leadership. As Jessica said above there are three weeks left to present the latter aspect of this.

Richard Lowe

I agree with Jessica. And i thought Boris was terrible on the Newsnight debate. Boris is obviously very fluent in print but he isn’t in person. (Even Brian Paddick came across better). Ken is a a skilled, experienced practitioner. He may be wrong about most things, but I have a horrible feeling he might
win.

STAN, UK

Ken is a political street fighter but Boris needs to also go on the attack and really fight back hard. On the newsnight debate though I thought Boris way out performed Ken.

Katie

Just looked at Ken's website and he has not put the Boris video on there at all, just another example of Ken Livingstone misleading voters, no change there then!

Fergus Pickering

Consider the famous debates between Carter and Reagan. Carter won every round but lost the fight because people just liked Reagan better. The same thing happened with Dubya and that dreadful stuffed shirt Gore. People seem to like Boris. Nobody (surely) could LIKE what Ken Livingstone has become. So Boris loses but he wins if you see what I mean. Paddick, like every Liberal Democrat is a complete irrelevance. Go Boris.

Caroline

Ken is right. That video is dire and a complete turn off for any visitor or investor. He makes London sound like a grim crime ridden depressing hell hole. Who would want to go there? He's made a huge mistake, just admit it.

Katie - look harder. It's here: http://www.kenlivingstone.com/media/boris_johnsons_election_broadcast_shows_he_has_nothing_to_offer_london

Augustus

I beg to differ entirely with some sentiments purporting a Boris/negative, Ken/positive video. On the one hand we have a cleverly measured attempt (the black and white is for concentrated effect) to establish a set of measures to reverse socialist shortcomings, and on the other some Jacques Tati figure (lets call his Jack Tatty) strutting about the streets of London, eating his messy fry-up, and not really going anywhere and in any direction in particular.

One up to Boris, I say.

Tiberius

Caroline: London is exactly as you describe for many of its inhabitants, and it has happened on Ken's watch. How is any opponent of Ken supposed to campaign on an improvement ticket if he doesn't tell it as it is at present? Ken is just another Leftie in denial, and withholding the facts from foreign investors or anyone else won't make them go away.

Caroline

Really Tiberious? Well, I point you in the direction of commentator Bill Badger (on the other video thread) who, like members of my own family regularly visit London and have been impressed by the changes they have witnessed there over these last few years. They absolutely love the place and keep going back, so something is going right. And when I point those family members and friends towards Boris's video they are dismayed by the ugly negativity expressed there, and it doesn't appear to meld with their experiences. Sometimes you have to stand back and take a more detached view, and London is not purely about its residents, it’s a beacon and icon to the world inviting in visitors, businesses and investment, but if his supporters are happy with his gloomy depiction so be it, but I guess most people would have expected something more positive from him. While it’s understandable that Boris’s exuberant, wooly head scratching, bumbling Laurel persona needed to be calmed down, he’s metamorphed into Mr. Grim. Shame.

Tiberius

Your perfectly entitled to that view, Caroline, but personally I should have thought the London mayor's primary concern should be all about the residents, not the tourists or visitors. Indeed, if the city has contented residents, would not the rest flow automatically?

Caroline

...."if the city has contented residents"...Tiberious that sounds heavenly, and do point me in the direction of 'any' city that enjoys this happy state of affairs and I'll start packing ;0) I can't help but suspect that in most cities at least half the residents are fulminating about something or other and are highly discontented. Still, it's a lovely vision, and perhaps Gordon will bring that about in the fullness of time!!