Boris and London buck the trend

Boris

So then, the people of London dutifully followed the stern advice of one of Clapton's most famous lordly sons, and duly fired Ken; again.

It was a closer run thing than Boris would have liked, but he nevertheless pulled it off, and now Cameron and his coterie of woefully witless advisers who have steered the national Conservative Party onto the rocks of a sobering national defeat has a much bigger problem to address.

Boris proved that a free thinking conservative toff with a big enough personality to override personal peccadilloes ranging from riding his bike the wrong way in a one way system to other more "traditional peripatetic bike-related misdemeanours" - who makes no apologies for his roots and instincts - can carry an electorate as diverse as London.

Ken Livingstone Limited, VAT free

Boris also proved that the electorate is not tribally incapable of supporting a Conservative (or conservative?)  -  although it must be said that Livingstone's demeanour and personal baggage load is his worst enemy. Whoever in the Labour Party believed in the monkey and rosette theory, and thought it was a good idea to allow him to stand as candidate, must surely be ready for the high jump. In his speech, Ken admitted he has probably never had a proper job, instead, he has spent the past 41 years raising the red flag over council offices, being confrontationally controversial and fancying newts. That's about it.

Nick Clegg has a bit of a problem, too. Brian Paddick - who is such a complete and emblematic personification of committed modern liberal politics that he can't help being his own pastiche, was thrashed into an irrelevant fourth place by the delightfully daffy and irrelevant Green candidate. Brian thanked his Norwegian husband for his support, and couldn't stop himself make a valedictory swipe in the process . I don't think there is a lot to add, other than that he can now carry on enjoying a substantial police retirement pension, in obscurity and peace.