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London Mayoral Election Betting: No foot left unshot

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One month to go, and the mayor misses another chance to narrow the gap

Exactly one month to go until election day and Boris Johnson is storming ahead in the race to be London mayor. A YouGov poll for the Standard yesterday put him 10 points behind Mr Johnson, and while Ken Livingstone airily dismissed the gap by saying he doesn't look at polls - what a ridiculous idea! - a look at the betting reveals an even grimmer picture. Betfair puts Boris on his shortest price to date [1.45], and Ken on his longest [3.3].

These prices have made commentators suddenly start claiming they had seen beneath the clownish exterior all along. "I first met whatshisname, aka Boris Johnson, when I spoke at the Oxford Union as Daily Telegraph editor while he was its president," wrote Max Hastings in the Observer at the weekend. "I remember feeling cross, that the evening seemed a benefit match for the presidential ego. No, let us be frank: I realised that this callow white lump in formal evening dress was a lot better at playing an audience than I was."

Last night, the lump continued his quest to be taken seriously at a debate with the mayor and Lib Dem candidate Brian Paddick, and even Mr Livingstone lent a hand. Mr Johnson wants to force kids who cause trouble on buses to do community service to get their free bus passes back, and he's not the only one. "I'm stealing your policies," boasted Ken. "What sort of idiot, when they hear a good idea, wouldn't take it on board?"

Mr Livingstone managed to shoot himself in the other foot while recording a campaign video. When an interviewer asks him what he considers his greatest achievement as a politician, he replies, "Oh, it's taking on and smashing the New Labour machine in 2000 when Tony Blair wouldn't let me run for mayor and just grinding them into the dust. But you won't be able to use that one," he laughs. YouTube found room for it, however, and political sages even speculated the video may have been deliberately leaked by Mr Livingstone to distance himself from the bad smell currently given off by the Labour party.

Mr Johnson waded in. "What a sad indictment that when asked to describe his greatest political achievement, Ken Livingstone cannot name making the streets safer, improving public transport, protecting open spaces or providing value for money. What more evidence do Londoners need that this Mayor has had his day?"

Mr Hastings counselled against over-confidence, however. "He is a sinuous and skilful politician," he said of the mayor. "Few men better understand how to manipulate ministers."