The politics of hope?

America has Obama. London has Ken. Not the same league perhaps, but then it's difficult to get excited about an incumbent at the best of times. Back to the politics of fear then? Maybe. The alternative is Boris, and this is the start of the first Mayoral campaign where the Tories have a real chance of winning. The message? 'Keep London moving'.

Evening rush hour in the heart of the City. Liverpool Street tube station may not be the most likely place to canvas for Ken supporters, but after an hour and a half I had managed to hand out all of my stack of pamphlets (what proportion were taken by those who thought it a particularly thin free sheet I don't know). Who supports Ken? The usual suspects, the less old, the less rich and the less white.

The pamphlet and website are telling of the state of the national Labour Party, the only clue he's not standing as an independent again is the stylised rose logo in the bottom left hand corner. The word 'Labour' doesn't even appear on the page.