Paddick Does the Lambeth Walk

Nick Clegg and Brian Paddick launched the LibDem campaign for the London mayoral election today at Brixton Town Hall, a building familiar to Brian from when he was Borough Commander of the police force in Lambeth. In his speech before the Press, London MPs, GLA candidates and other LibDem activists, he placed great emphasis on his experience as a senior policeman, someone who has a record of success and administrative competence, rather than just promising them. Crime will figure largely in his campaign — indeed, he has a substantial op ed piece on the subject in tonight’s Evening Standard — alongside public transport and affordable housing. 

Brian declared that ‘Nick Clegg said we should be bold, ambitious and optimistic,’ adding teasingly, ‘Well, you asked for it Nick!’ Certainly from his performance today, he will offer a very distinct message from either Ken Livingstone or Boris Johnson. He is not a politician, for a start. As Michael White of the Guardian commented to me afterwards, that has both advantages and disadvantages. But it may well be that in a city in which large sections of the population are disengaged from politics, not being a career politician is no bad thing. Moreover, in an energetic demonstration of the party’s determination to engage with the public, once the formal part of the launch was over, Brian and Nick marched off to Brixton Market, for a walkabout.