Mayoral candidates focus on message
Tuesday, 8 April 2008 12:00 AM
London mayoral campaign teams are trying different tactics at reaching voters with just over three weeks to go until polling day.
Ken Livingstone's party political broadcast, shown on BBC1 last night, saw the incumbent candidate wandering around the capital, travelling on the London Underground and visiting the Crossrail plan.
Boris Johnson, currently leading in the polls, will see his own election broadcast on BBC1 this evening but the Conservative candidate is also launching a campaign pledge card for voters.
The next three weeks will see 100,000 cards distributed to Londoners, featuring information about his policies on crime and social disorder, improving the city's green spaces and providing better "value for money".
Mr Johnson said: "Londoners are now faced with a choice between a Mayor who is out of touch and had his day, and a person that will make the changes London so badly deserves. I am the man to bring about that change."
Brian Paddick, a former deputy assistant commissioner for the Metropolitan police and now the Liberal Democrat-backed candidate, has meanwhile launched a new campaign website.
He says Londoners have already provided him with "huge support" on the web and added he wanted to inject "new momentum" to the Lib Dems' web campaigning.
Mr Paddick has also released his election broadcast, which focuses on violent crime in London and claims the Liberal Democrat offers "serious solutions".
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