• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

MayorWatch

London News and Comment

  • NEWS

First 2016 Mayoral poll gives Sadiq Khan narrow lead over Zac Goldsmith

October 9, 2015 by Martin Hoscik

Sadiq Khan has a narrow lead over Zac Goldsmith.
Sadiq Khan has a narrow lead over Zac Goldsmith.
Labour’s Sadiq Khan is leading Conservative rival Zac Goldsmith in the race to succeed Boris Johnson as Mayor according to a new YouGov poll published today.

The poll is the first to be carried out since all four parties currently represented at City Hall selected their candidates for next year’s contest and shows 51% believe the Tooting MP “would make the best Mayor of London” compared to Mr Goldsmith’s 49%.

Although the pair will face challenges from the Greens, Liberal Democrats, UKIP and smaller parties, the final run-off in next year’s election will be between the two candidates with the largest number of votes.

At each of the past three elections this has been the Labour and Conservative candidates and the current political landscape makes this the most likeliest scenario next May.

The poll, which was commissioned by the Evening Standard, shows that on most personal qualities the pair are broadly tied.

27% of respondents say Mr Khan would be best in a crisis, just one point more than Mr Goldsmith’s score.

Khan also leads his opponent by a single point on the issue of whether the two men are “up to the job of Mayor of London” with 39%. Both are ranked as likeable by 41%.

With Labour’s campaign likely to make an issue of Goldsmith’s personal wealth and “posh” background his campaign will be disappointed that the poll shows he’s seen as “in touch with ordinary people” by just 18% of respondents.

Khan enjoys a 23 point lead on this issue with 41% saying this is true of him, although his lead on this issue may not be enough to secure victory.

The final poll carried out by YouGov ahead of the 2012 rematch between Ken Livingstone and Boris Johnson placed the two on 40% and 17% respectively on the same issue yet it was Mr Johnson who won the election.

  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email

Filed Under: News

RECENT UPDATES

Tube and rail users to benefit from Oyster weekly fares cap

Mayor and TfL call on ministers to help plug funding gap

Tube to get full mobile phone coverage from 2024

TfL says Direct Vision Standard is already making HGVs safer for London road users




POPULAR

City Hall to move to Docklands as Mayor seeks to raise £55m for frontline services

‘Concern’ over TfL’s ability to deliver major projects in wake of Crossrail cost overruns

City Hall halts London Overground ticket office closures but many will still see opening hours reduced

Transport for London confirms bus cuts will go ahead despite passenger opposition

Copyright © 2025 · Terms of Use · Privacy Policy