The Battle of the Marmite Candidates

You either love them or hate them. Both Boris Johnson and Ken Livingstone are charismatic individuals who rarely provoke indifference among the electorate. This is a battle of the marmite titans. Boris will undoubtedly win voters who wouldn't otherwise vote Conservative but he's up against a formidable opponent who shouldn't be underestimated.

I was standing next to Ken Livingstone on the tube the other day. This relatively inconsequential act of traveling on the tube inspires confidence in Londoners and this proves that Ken is a man of London, whether you agree with the measures he has implemented or not.

As Jonathan Evans MEP said on Saturday - "never underestimate the power of incumbency". Nevertheless, Boris has a golden opportunity to reassert himself as a credible politician rather than being perceived as a bumbling celebrity but the Conservatives have an uphill battle. The characterisation of Boris as a bumbling oaf grossly undermines his intellect and talent and I hope he does himself justice in this race and restores his political credibility.

This head to head battle also puts the Lib Dems in a spot of bother. After Simon Hughes ruled himself out of the race, they are without a big hitter and are non-runners in this race.

This will prove to be an intriguing and mouth watering contest on so many levels.