Paul Corfield wrote:

While Mr Tuffrey may have less of a profile than Mr Paddick I think he
would have placed both of the other candidates under a lot of scrutiny
about policy and delivery which is what is actually needed. We're not
holding a beauty parade - it's an election where clear plans, good
ideas and proper scrutiny of delivery against their previously
declared commitments is required.

I'm afraid elected Mayors are not turning out quite the way people expected
(and hoped?) - I think the expectation was that the posts would attract new
talent, especially from industry, who would be interested in running for a
direct executive post but not in the street level work that councillors do
which is a pre-requisite to being a council leader. Unfortunately the UK
party system doesn't operate in such a way that such outsiders can dip in to
electoral politics. Ironically Paddick in 2008 is the nearest to a US style
candidate that any of the parties on the GLA have yet fielded and both he
and the Lib Dems found the experience an unhappy one (he says he's learnt
from the experience and certainly he's more experienced in Lib Dem
campaigning now).

The other problem is that elected Mayors are not seen as a stepping stone to
higher things because it's hard to know if one can return to the Commons, so
the ambitious are not drawn to the post (okay Lembit stood but... he's
Lembit). Here it will take time and precedents to change that to show the
talent can easily jump between venues.

I dread to think what will happen if we ever get regional government -
whatever one may think of special advisors going into safe Westminster seats
they do have political knowledge and talent but are unlikely to stand for
regional assemblies. Anyone fancy a chamber full of county councillors who
fancy a nice sinecure?

Months of political jamboree is going to be tedious in the extreme.
Recent skirmishes between Ken and Boris "supporters" fill me with
dread.

If you think Boris's supporters hate Livingstone, you should hear some of
the attitudes held about him in certain London Labour Parties.