And, the next Mayor of London is…

I read this morning that, nearly half of all the UK’s ethnic minorities live in London and their vote in deciding the capital’s next Mayor will be crucial. This got me thinking…

As a young (debatable) British Northerner whose mixed-race, gay and living in London, I started to think who am I going to vote for?

Many might think being who and what I am (a BIG lefty?), I will be voting Labour in the Mayoral Election out of the three main political parties, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Whilst the last British Government, Labour did do some good things especially with regards to equality.

I too have a soft-spot for the former PM Gordon Brown. He had no chance from the beginning of his premiership, with a hostile press and others who wanted him to act ‘and’ look like a superhero and not a Prime Minister. I’m always with the underdog, but that’s another story!

So, where does my valuable Mayor of London vote go? I say ‘valuable’ because, as we have seen with the current UK Coalition Government – every vote, does count.

However, the truth and sad thing is that none of the main three political parties connect with or speak for me.

Labour – I have as much in common with the new ‘Old’ Labour, as I do with the Conservatives. If I were to sum-up the current Shadow Cabinet in one word I would say ‘lost’, and not just literally at the last General Erection.

Conservatives – Well, as a young mixed-race gay Scouser ‘they’ have as much in common with me, as I do with say… Labour. My ‘one word’ for the Conservatives would be ‘predictable’.

Liberal Democrats – Where does one start? I remember back in Manchester at university when I could first vote that, I voted Labour followed by the Lib Dems or sometimes the other way around – never again.

With the two other parties you know what you’re getting, but I wouldn’t trust another Lib Dem politician (more so, than the others). The Leadership doesn’t know it (or maybe it does?), but they have destroyed the party’s reputation and credibility – people won’t forget.

Therefore, my word for the orange/slightly yellow team is ‘disingenuous’.

So, is my VOTE a lost one? Before the Mayoral Election in May 2012, can any of the candidates convince me or others like me (if they wanted to), to vote for them?

One would think I might represent all that is good about this diverse city in an Olympic Year, but yet there is NOT one party I connect with.

I would vote Green, but that would be a lost vote – I think. Maybe, I’ll just flip a 50-pence coin between Boris and Ken and see who lands on top?

This has been a… who to vote for, if indeed at all, ‘View from the Bottom’.

Take care, Max x.

Live Healthy, Laugh Often & Love Yourself!

Published by My Mum. Copyright © Kevin Maxwell Film, Media & Performance 2012.