On Thursday 1 May Londoners will be going to the polls to decide who will lead our capital city as mayor and who will represent them on the Greater London Assembly. These are not the only elections taking place of course; on the same day, elections will be taking place for all council seats across Wales and some council seats in England.

So far, the race for London mayor may have been the most colourful, controversial and closely fought battle since the post was created, but the importance of this election for London’s students should not be underestimated or overlooked. The mayor of London has the biggest personal mandate of any European politician, except the presidents of France and Portuga,l and a nine billion pound budget to promote London’s economic growth, transport services, police and fire service, learning and skills, community and culture.

On 2 May we face one of two scenarios: the re-election of Ken Livingstone or the nightmare of our capital being run by Boris Johnson. I cannot claim a mandate to represent all students in supporting Ken – nor would I try to. But I do think it’s my responsibility to highlight the record of our Mayor and his main opponent and explain why today I cast my vote for Ken by post.

Good mayor for Londoners
And it’s quite simple: Ken hasn’t just been a good mayor for Londoners, he’s been a good Mayor for London’s students. He’s the mayor who abolished bus and tram fairs for all under 18s in full-time education; the mayor who introduced discounted oyster fares for all full-time students in London; the mayor who supported and funded the Student Rise Against Racism festival; the mayor who brought us the Olympics – which will directly involve further and higher education institutions in reaping the rewards.

Ken’s the kind of mayor who’s shown real leadership. From his stoic response to the 7/7 bombings that united London, as terrorists tried to turn us against each other and the Muslim community came under attack, through to his bold initiatives to tackle the effects of climate change through the congestion charge.

Students sometimes ask me how I can still support Labour when I have vehemently opposed planks of the government’s agenda from top-up fees to the war in Iraq and it’s a fair question – the answer to which often involves one of Polly Toynbee’s nose pegs. Thankfully, no peg’s needed for Ken. He’s the mayor who backed us in our fight against fees, slammed the government’s disastrous wars in Iraq and has genuinely involved and supported students and students’ unions across London throughout the length and breadth of his programme; from transport and environment policy through to his skills and equalities strategies.

Our capital city
I’m afraid we know all too well what kind of leadership Boris Johnson would provide for our capital city – and unlike Boris’ jokes it’s no laughing matter. Johnson, who supported Bush’s crusade in the Middle East and his refusal to sign the Kyoto protocol is the same Boris Johnson who also compared civil partnerships between LGBT people to a partnership between a man and his dog, not to mention the man who said ‘To any non-Muslim reader of the Koran, Islamophobia… seems a natural reaction’. This is not the kind of mayor I believe would work with students’ unions to combat racism and discrimination in any meaningful sense and not a man I want to see running the city I’ve grown up in.

That’s not to say Ken’s perfect and during my time in NUS I’ve not been afraid to challenge him publicly on his mistakes, from inviting Yusuf al-Qaradawi to speak at City Hall to allowing his ongoing war with the London Evening Standard to drive a wedge between his office and large sections of London’s Jewish community. (I’d strongly encourage Jewish students to have a read of Jonathan Freedland in the JC before deciding who to vote for). Politicians aren’t perfect, but not many of them are as upfront, student-friendly and plain speaking as Ken.

Deliver for students
To be fair to Brian Paddick, Sian Berry and Lindsey German, they haven’t had much of an opportunity to demonstrate what they’d deliver for students and some students may well be attracted by their approach and their policies. To those thinking of voting for one of these candidates: remember you have two votes and to use them wisely. This election is a two-horse race. Even if you vote for one of these candidates first, if you don’t want to see Boris Johnson in City Hall, you need to give Ken your second vote.

I know that not all students will agree with everything I’ve said in this blog – and I respect that. But let me move onto an area that ought to unite all of us at the polls in London, across England and Wales. Whoever you vote for, wherever you’re eligible to vote: get out and stop the BNP. In these elections, the BNP are fielding candidates like never before. In London, they have a real chance of gaining their first London Assembly member if they can get just 5 per cent of the vote – last time they missed out by just 0.1 per cent! Anyone who thinks these people are just slightly outspoken suited and booted critics of immigration policy are kidding themselves. Their leader is a vile racist, homophobic, holocaust-denier and their record in places where they get elected, like Barking and Dagenham, is one of stirring up racist attacks and violence and claiming taxpayers money whilst delivering nothing in return.

Across England and Wales, use your vote and make every vote an anti-fascist vote.

Wes Streeting
NUS Vice-President (Education) and National President-elect

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