Ken pulls ahead of “increasingly out of touch” Boris

Ken Livingstone has turned round an eight-point lead in the last seven months to lead Boris Johnson by two points in the latest YouGov London Mayor poll (pdf). Taking account of sampling error, the race, which had been Johnson’s to lose, is now “too close to call”, according to YouGov president Peter Kellner.

Last June, Boris led 54%-46%; now, Ken leads 51%-49%.

Ken-Livingstone-Boris-Johnson
Kellner writes:

“Our poll suggests two factors have been at work: one has dented Boris’s appeal, while the other has burnished Ken’s.

“Boris’s new year problem is that he is seen as increasingly out of touch. As in our poll last June, we listed eight characteristics and asked people to say which applied to the two candidates. As a rule of thumb, with this kind of question - where we ask people to pick from a list rather than judge each characteristic separately – anything over 30 is a good score, and anything under 15 a bad score.

“The proportion saying Boris is ‘in touch with the concerns of ordinary people’ has tumbled since June from 20% to 13%. A bearable score has become a terrible one. Meanwhile Ken, who was already ahead with 37%, has seen his ‘in touch’ score climb to 40%. He was in front; he is now out of sight.”

Adding of Livingstone:

“As for Ken, it looks as his promise to cut fares on buses and the tube has made an impact. Among all Londoners, transport vies with crime as their top concern. But among Ken’s supporters, transport is clearly ahead.”

Encouraging news, then, for Team Ken, but there’s still plenty to do; as Dave Hill, of the Guardian’s “London Blog”, says:

“One poll, of course, is precisely that – just one poll. The Livingstone camp is stressing that it is far from complacent.

“A couple of points caught my eye in the detail. One is that Ken’s honesty rating remains lower than Boris’s: 18% compared with 24%. The other is that Ken scored much higher than Boris when the sample was asked which had achieved more as mayor: 40% thought Ken had done better compared with 30% for Boris.

“The highest profile achievements of Boris’s term – such as his cycle hire scheme and his new bus – have been of little benefit to most Londoners, so there isn’t all that much for him boast about. It’s been noticeable that Ken-hating media friends of the Tory mayor barely mention Boris’s record, preferring to denigrate the personality of his Labour rival.

“The findings of the new poll don’t seem to give the anti-Ken campaign in its various forms any reason to divert from a path of relentless negativity. That said, has that approach really helped Boris so far?”

Exactly fifteen weeks today London goes to the polls, with the race blown open and all to play for.

See also:

• Boris, the bankers’ mayor, backs his chums over small businesses – Jenny Jones AM, January 17th 2012

• Boris’s retreat from accountability over the Met should worry us all – Joanne McCartney AM, January 16th 2012

• Biggs: ‘Boris Tunnel’ is four years late and “doesn’t appear to have any funding” – Shamik Das, January 12th 2012

• Boris’s electric vehicle boasts are an inverted pyramid of piffle – Darren Johnson AM, January 10th 2012

• Livingstone pledges London Living Rent, saying Boris has “completely failed” on housing – Shamik Das, December 13th 2011

http://twitter.com/tom_the_human/status/160007868614062081 Tom White

@PatrickJEdwards @MirandaButler3 http://t.co/a3tknrVS
http://twitter.com/tony_gee/status/160008476062527488 Tony Gee

@allanrobbins about time >> RT @leftfootfwd Ken pulls ahead of “increasingly out of touch” Boris: http://t.co/SjBWM6bE @Ken4London
Selohesra

Rogue poll – my money is still on Boris
Keith

I only hope that Ken wins as from his past performance he certainly was on the side of the ordinary person and not merely there to line the pockets of the financial world and ex public school boys that Boris aligns himself with.
http://twitter.com/mabelmck/status/160019946745757696 Mabel

Ken pulls ahead of “increasingly out of touch” Boris: http://t.co/4b5SAyq3 reports @ShamikDas @Ken4London
Snufflet

Cameron and Boris the two school chums entrenched in banking sector What do you expect to see?
They are angling for plum bonus rich positions with Barclays and Bank of America when they are yesterdays news after the next elections. The banks have caused all this almighty depression and are still hell bent on ordinary people as you put it losing all of their wealth (Government perceived) . When the new Government comes to power it is my forlorn hope that unlike Obama and Paulson there will be a witch hunt and those responsible will be held at Her Majesty’s Pleasure but No probably they will become Lords and continue the self destruction of our once respected honoured and beautiful Realm
Snufflet

Take look at him he is a close school chum of our least liked prime minister David Spammeron. He gets it wrong just like David he is never around when situations dictate his presence is required (not wanted and not needed of course) On holiday during the New Years celebrations perhaps he’s afraid the fireworks might have given him a much deserved gift up the Kyber. But wishful thinking aside Ken lowers costs and popularises public transport get rid of cars and lorries in London reduces pollution a thoroughly good man. A COMPLETE NO BRAINER Welcome Ken do your WORST.
Snufflet

Lucky you so pleased you have some money. But I think you may haver more if Boris Badenough gets a clear get out of here result.
http://twitter.com/ishhphotography/status/160025603142193153 IshhPhotography.co.u

http://t.co/D08CS4nj 15 weeks today Londoners can do us all a favour and get rid of the incompetent mayor of London – #SackBoris #YesWeKen
http://twitter.com/liza_harding/status/160028451368210432 Liza Harding

Ken pulls ahead of “increasingly out of touch” Boris: http://t.co/4b5SAyq3 reports @ShamikDas @Ken4London
Charles

The only other possibility is that people are being duped by the pickpocket campaign.
http://twitter.com/kathy279/status/160042055643570176 kathy279

Ken pulls ahead of “increasingly out of touch” Boris: http://t.co/4b5SAyq3 reports @ShamikDas @Ken4London
http://twitter.com/simon_watkins/status/160064575323127808 Simon Watkins

Ken pulls ahead of “increasingly out of touch” Boris: http://t.co/4b5SAyq3 reports @ShamikDas @Ken4London
http://twitter.com/roryweal/status/160070645177266176 Rory Weal

Ken pulls ahead of “increasingly out of touch” Boris | @ShamikDas on @LeftFootfwd http://t.co/1xvOVg5o
http://twitter.com/misscampbell/status/160070889881346049 Jane

Ken pulls ahead of “increasingly out of touch” Boris | @ShamikDas on @LeftFootfwd http://t.co/1xvOVg5o
http://twitter.com/ewanaitken/status/160093772569513986 Ewan Aitken

Ken pulls ahead of “increasingly out of touch” Boris | @ShamikDas on @LeftFootfwd http://t.co/1xvOVg5o
http://twitter.com/therightarticle/status/160277398988922880 Michael

Ken Livingstone pulls ahead of “increasingly out of touch” Boris I Left Foot Forward – http://t.co/oquU1d9k
http://twitter.com/daoudmsund/status/160277570707931138 dave m

Ken Livingstone pulls ahead of “increasingly out of touch” Boris I Left Foot Forward – http://t.co/oquU1d9k
http://twitter.com/witchlet/status/160277902506733568 Marjory Smith

Ken Livingstone pulls ahead of “increasingly out of touch” Boris I Left Foot Forward – http://t.co/oquU1d9k
http://www.leftfootforward.org/2012/01/look-left-20-01-12/ Look Left – The human cost of the government’s inhumane welfare reforms | Left Foot Forward

[...] trailing Ken Livingstone 51%-49%, his eight-point lead last June evaporating, with Peter Kellner noting that Johnson is now seen as “increasingly out of [...]
Ed’s Talking Balls

Least liked Prime Minister? Erm, what?? The most unpopular Prime Minister in our history lost the last election and is now doing goodness knows what (apart from representing his constituents, of course).