Johnson faces long to-do list as London mayor
Tuesday, 6 May 2008 12:00 AM
New London mayor Boris Johnson faces a plethora of concerns as he takes over the reins in City Hall.
Mr Johnson triumphed in Thursday's mayoral poll, ousting Ken Livingstone from office after the Labour mayor's eight years in power.
According to pollsters Ipsos Mori, cost of living and housing, safety and crime rates and traffic congestion are top of the list of Londoners' concerns which Mr Johnson will have to seek to address.
The congestion charge topped the list of reasons for dissatisfaction with Mr Livingstone.
But with "congested" the characteristic of the city picked out most by respondents, the issue will prove a challenge for Mr Johnson.
Ipsos Mori found affordable housing, safety and crime and the health service were the top priorities for improving London as a place to live.
Those in inner London are happier with their area than those in the outside of the city by five percentage points, while there are major differences between the London boroughs.
Under 50 per cent of those in Barking and Dagenham and Newham said they were happy with their area as a place to live, compared to over 90 per cent satisfaction for the City of London and Richmond upon Thames.
Londoners' attitudes are not all negative, however. According to Ipsos Mori they are the least bothered by immigration issues of any region in the UK.
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