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| Prime Minister David Cameron and London’s Mayor Boris Johnson arrive for a discussion with entrepreneurs in London yesterday |
London Evening Standard/London
The vast majority of Londoners believe Boris Johnson is a “mayor for the rich”, an exclusive poll revealed yesterday.
Almost eight out of 10 — 78% — believe the Conservative mayor is fighting on behalf of the wealthy more than any other group, including commuters and the poor.
But the extraordinary Evening Standard survey shows many Londoners are supportive of this stance — as Johnson has consolidated a six-point lead over Labour rival Ken Livingstone.
The survey by YouGov puts Johnson on a 53 to 47 lead overall.
Only 4% of people polled said Johnson would focus on the poor, compared with 40% for Livingstone, who was also seen as “particularly keen” to help Muslims, black and Asian Londoners.
Yet the results show Labour is failing to reduce Johnson’s vote share among poorer voters.
The scale of the “Boris effect” is revealed in the new poll of 1,060 Londoners. It puts Johnson, 47, ahead of David Cameron’s Conservatives by 10 points. Livingstone, 66, is lagging six points behind the Labour party.
After first preference votes are compared with the share of the London Assembly list vote, the so-called “Ken factor” is minus six, compared with a “Boris factor” of plus 10.
Some Tory MPs will see Johnson’s poll lead as proof that they do not need to distance themselves from the rich or traditional supporters in the City to be popular with voters. It comes amid dismay that the coalition has attacked rich philanthropists as part of a crackdown on wealthy tax avoiders. With just over two weeks to go to the mayoral election on May 3, the results put Johnson on course for a second four-year term at City Hall.