London mayoral election, 2000

Infobox Election
election_name = London mayoral election, 2000
country = Greater London
ongoing = no
type = presidential
previous_election = PAGENAME
previous_year = None
next_election = London mayoral election, 2004
next_year = 2004
election_date = 4 May 2000

1blank = First preference
2blank = Popular vote
3blank = Percentage
4blank = Second preference
5blank = Popular vote
6blank = Percentage

candidate1 = Ken Livingstone
party1 = Independent (politician)
last_election1 =
swing1 =
popular_vote1 =776,427 (final)
percentage1 =57.9% (final)
2data1 =667,877
3data1 =39.0%
5data1 =178,809
6data1 =12.6%

candidate2 = Steven Norris
party2 = Conservative Party (UK)
last_election2 =
swing2 =
popular_vote2 =564,137 (final)
percentage2 =42.1% (final)
2data2 =464,434
3data2 =27.1%
5data2 =188,041
6data2 =13.2%

candidate3 = Frank Dobson
party3 = Labour Party (UK)
last_election3 =
popular_vote3 =Not in final round
percentage3 =Not in final round
swing3 =
2data3 =223,884
3data3 =13.1%
5data3 =228,095
6data3 =16.0%

map_

---

map_size = 150px
map_caption = London shown within the United Kingdom
title = Mayor
before_election = None
before_party = None
after_election = Ken Livingstone
after_party = Independent (politician)The first election to the office of Mayor of London took place on 4 May 2000.

Results

¹Under the Supplementary Vote system, if no candidate receives 50% of 1st choice votes, 2nd choice votes are added to the result for the top two 1st choice candidates. If a ballot gives a first and second preference to the top two candidates in either order, then their second preference is not counted, so that a second preference cannot count against a first, hence why the “total” vote for Livingstone and Norris is not the sum of first and second preferences.

²Percentage figures are not officially used on the final votes, they are produced here for illustration and are calculated by the candidates final vote divided by the total of final votes.

*Turnout: 1,752,303 (34.43%)
*As the ballot papers are counted electronically, totals for all second preferences are available, even though some did not contribute to the final result.

Candidates

* Geoffrey Ben-Nathan stood as a PRO-MaSS (Pro-motorist and Small Shop) candidate, campaigning on a platform of stopping the use of motorists as "wallets on wheels". [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/special_report/1999/11/99/battle_for_london/candidates/g_nathan.stm Profile of Ben-Nathan] on bbc.co.uk]
* Dr. Geoffrey Clements ran for the Natural Law Party, of which he was the leader. A doctor of physics from the University of Sussex, he also trained as a teacher in the techniques of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/special_report/1999/11/99/battle_for_london/candidates/g_clements.stm Profile of Clements] from bbc.co.uk]
* Frank Dobson (born March 15, 1940), the Labour Party candidate, was the MP for Holborn and St. Pancras.
* Prof. Ram Gidoomal CBE, a businessman and author originally from British East Africa ran for the Christian Peoples Alliance. [ [http://www.sharejesusinternational.org/main.php?page_id=92 Profile of Gidoomal] ]
* Damian Hockney was a leading member of the United Kingdom Independence Party. He has since been a member of Veritas and is now the leader of One London.
* Darren Johnson (born 1966) was a leading member of the Green Party of England and Wales who was elected to the London Assembly in 2000.
* Susan Kramer (born 22 July 1950) was the candidate for the Liberal Democrats. She has since been elected MP for Richmond Park.
* Ken Livingstone (born 17 June 1945) had been leader of the Greater London Council and MP for Brent East, both for the Labour Party.
* Michael Newland was the candidate for the British National Party, at the time serving as the party's national treasurer. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/special_report/1999/11/99/battle_for_london/candidates/m_newland.stm Profile of Newland] from bbc.co.uk] Previously associated with the National Front he has since joined the Freedom Party. [ [http://www.freedompartyuk.net/welcome.html Freedom Party website] ]
* Steven Norris (born May 24, 1945) had served the Conservative Party as MP for both Oxford East and Epping Forest.
* Ashwinkumar Tanna, who had been a candidate for UKIP in the Tottenham by-election, 2000, ran on an independent ticket with a range of policies including opposing privatisation of London Underground, local involvement in policing and the establishment of a city-wide business forum. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/special_report/1999/11/99/battle_for_london/candidates/a_tanna.stm Profile of Tanna] on bbc.co.uk]

Candidate selection

Ken Livingstone had sought the Labour Party nomination but was defeated by Frank Dobson. He described the result as "tainted" because the election system gave greater weight to the votes of London Labour MPs rather than rank-and-file party members, and decided to contest the election as an Independent candidate. On handing in nomination papers he was automatically expelled from membership of the Labour Party.

Steve Norris had lost the original selection ballot for Conservative candidate to Jeffrey Archer, but Archer stood down as a candidate when a newspaper printed a story accusing him of committing perjury during a 1987 libel trial (he was later convicted and imprisoned).

References