It has to be Barack

With the endorsement of John Edwards earlier today it surely spells the end of Hillary Clinton's campaign. It has been a fantastic battle and one of the most exciting primary races for a generation, but it's quite clear that Barack Obama will be the Democrat nominee for president.

Hillary will do herself no favours if she stays in beyond the end of the primary season in early June. It is clear that the momentum with super-delegates is with Barack and that he'll soon have enough support to take him over the line. The issues of Michigan and Florida are raised continuously along with their exclusion. It is clear that even if they were included Barack would win, and he wasn't even on the ballot in Michigan.

However, the one worrying thing about Barrack’s candidature for president is his polling among blue-collar workers. The Democrats need to win over that crucial demographic. What has also concerned me is his failure to really win any of the big states except his home patch of Illinois, it's all very well winning the small states but the big ones is where the vote is come election time.

I started off a Barack supporter and remain one, the next few months will be crucial. The Republicans are so unpopular in the USA that now is never a better change to enact real change in America. However, in John Mc Cain you have a maverick candidate who leans to the left on some issues to the ire of the Conservative wing of the Republicans. He may have difficulty motivating his vote to come out on election day which played such a crucial role for Bush in 2004.

The battle is nearly off, and then it's on to the big one Barack V McCain

New Mayor of Merton

I was elected as Mayor of Merton on Wednesday night and I'll be in for a busy year ahead. The mayor-making ceremony went quite well, though being dressed up in robes is never the most comfortable of experiences. The ceremony in itself is not the easiest but I think I just about managed it on the night. It is a great honour for me to become the new mayor, the youngest to be elected to that position and the first born after 1965. The next year promises to be a busy year ahead but it's a great opportunity and I'm greatly looking forward to it all.

Ward results for GLA/mayoral election

The results by ward are out for the GLA election. Looking at my own ward of Pollards Hill; Labour were ahead on all three counts in my own ward of Pollards Hill and by a bigger margin then at the GLA election. The results cab accessed on the following link: http://results.londonelects.org.uk/Results/DownloadResults.aspx

Down to the wire

The Premier League is down the wire, with Chelsea winning today at Newcastle it goes down to the final weekend with both teams on the same number of points and possibly the most exciting end since 1989. Although I'm bitterly disappointed at Liverpool losing last week to Chelsea in the Champions League,in this country we possibly have the best teams in the world at present, and this has been replicated through having an English Champions League final for the first time ever.

As for who'll win, my money is on Manchester United to win the Premier League and that Chelsea will get their revenge in the Champions League final.Hopefully next year Liverpool will be challenging for the Premier League, but it will only happen when we clearly the disastrous team of Hicks and Gillett out of the club.

Marks & Spencer opens new store in Colliers Wood

Today, I visited the new Marks and Spencer in Colliers Wood which opened last Thursday. This is actually the first full range Marks and Spencer in London Borough of Merton(we have a Simply Food store in Wimbledon) and the store itself is one of the largest Marks and Spencer in the country. The store adds to the growing retail environment in Colliers Wood, which now seems to have every major chain present in various retail park along with providing hundreds of new jobs to local people. The one downside though, is that it's likely to impact on traffic coming into the area and with free parking provided it's likely to encourage even more car journeys. This will need to be watched carefully, but overall it's a significant boost to retail in the borough and is to be welcomed.

The aftermath of the local elections

Having spent the bank holiday weekend recovering from an arduous election; and the shock of seeing Boris win the mayoralty, it has not been the best weekend and along with many on the left it has been a pretty depressing time.

London under Boris means we'll have to face new realities, and adapt to new circumstances. The thought of Boris in charge of London does not fill me with much confidence,and the days of progressive politics in this city are at an end, for the moment. I believe that this great city has a lot to thank Ken Livingstone for, especially the transport improvements, the neighbourhood policing teams and of course London becoming the host city for the 2012 Olympics. Ken, despite his mistakes had a track record of success. Likewise his policies on affordable housing, was something I welcomed, getting on the housing ladder and making housing affordable is of vital importance in a city which has some of the highest property prices in the world. One thing I will guarantee, is that Boris Johnson will not have the same commitment, and Tory councils across London including Merton will be able to get away with providing little housing that is affordable.

Despite the success of Boris Johnson, this is still an evenly balanced city. Labour despite the mayoralty saw it votes rise in real and in percentage terms. In losing Ken received more votes then in 2004, sadly more of the suburban Tory area of London voted then the strong Labour areas.

The other disturbing part, is the election of the repugnant BNP to the London Assembly, their vote only marginally rose from 2000. but it was enough the see Richard Barnbrook elected along with giving them a platform for their polices of hatred and division.

Like the results across the rest of the country, it was not a great night for the Labour Party. Lessons have to be learnt from the result which were poor for us across the country with a few notable exceptions(Slough, Oxford, Ipswich and Liverpool, spring to mind). As a party we need to have a seriously at how we can re-connect, the whole 10p tax issues has not been helpful. What would be disastrous however, would be recriminations, if this happens we haven't a chance in hell of winning a fourth term. These are difficult times, and lessons need to be learnt. The party does need to be focus more on addressing issues have had an impact on support for Labour. Unlike some in the media, Cameron hasn't the next election in the bag and the Labour party can recover from its present position.

I also believe that the current economic circumstances will change, people are feeling the pinch at the moment, the economy is going through a rough patch and there is no denying that things are challenging for people, especially those with mortgages. However, things are in no way comparable to the early nineties with interest rates and unemployment a fraction of what it was under the Tories.

This is not the beginning of the end, and we have to remain confident that things will change. Politics has its up and downs, I've had many ups but sometimes you have downs, last week was one of those. We lost on Thursday but we can return to winning ways.

A cruel blow at the end

Looked like Liverpool tonight we were set for a 1-0 success, and what happens? an own goal is scored with the last kick of the game. Football can provide some cruel blows and this unfortunately was one of them. Still, it's a long way from being over and I'm sure we can bounce back at the Bridge, though it will be difficult given Chelsea's record at home.

Gwyneth Dunwoody

Although she could be a battleaxe at times, and had very forthright views, Gwyneth Dunwoody was a great parliamentarian who was fiercly independent and a true champion of Parliament. Having recently become the longest serving women MP ever, she contributed a great deal to this country during her time in Parliament which stretched back to 1966.

The Labour Party also has a lot thank for MP's like Gwyneth Dunwoody, who helped move the party towards more commonsense policies, instead of election losing policies which was the hallmark of Labour back in the early eighties. If hadn't been for people like her, the Labour Party would never have recovered from the electoral disaster of 1983.

She was unique, and will be very sorely missed.

Liverpool pull it off again!

It looked it all over after the Adebayor goal; but like on so many other other occasions Liverpool came bouncing back to set up another re-match with Chelsea. It's night like these which makes up for for all the heartache and failures you have to endure as a football supporter. There is also something about European football that brings out the best in Liverpool, time and again we look down and out and we always seem to manage to come back from the brink. If we knock out Chelesea then it's on we go to Moscow - this may very well be another year of success in the Champions League and with El Niño Torres in such great form, anything's possible.

Mugabe clings on to power in Zimbabwe

What has been happening in Zimbabwe is greatly disturbing, a once great country has been reduced to a wreck through the policies of the despotic Robert Mugabe who uses every trick in the book to cling on to power.

When a country can barely feed its own population, where the economy has collapsed with the highest inflation in the world and 80% unemployment, the present situation has to change if the people are to be given any hope for the future. With the population collapsing and life expectancy now in the thirties, a country that was once of the most prosperous in Africa has collapsed into a shambolic state.

Of course, if any solution is to come, it needs to be from African countries and especially for the South African government of Thabo Mbeki. The have a clear duty to help bring to an end this regime given the mounting chaos and that as a country they're flooded with migrant fleeing Mugabe. The failure of the government of South Africa to speak out against this regime is nothing short of scandalous given that they could place influence on Zimbabwe and help bring to an end the regime of Robert Mugabe. Likewise, other African governments need to come together to condemn this despot. These governments have influence in a way that the British government will never have where it's seen as the former colonial power.

I hope that a peaceful solution is found and that an orderly transition takes places, I fear though that it will end in bloodshed as Mugabe takes ever more desperate measures to remain in power.

Steve Sinnott

The union movement lost a great figure with the sudden death of the NUT General Secretary, Steve Sinnott at the weekend. Steve was a great trade unionist who fought for teachers and for better pay and conditions in the sector. His loss is a great tragedy for the union movement, and for education in this country.

Olympic torch protests in London

The scene of protest throughout London today during the Olympic torch procession is not surprising or unexpected. While I condone the behaviour of some of the protester's, it shows the strength of feeling the existed and that as a democracy people have the right to protest freely. Unfortunately, these scenes will not be repeated in China, as any dissension will be stamped upon severely along with any freedom of expression and freedom to protest. The way the government systematically blocks western websites shows that are uninterested in allowing free and open access to information.

While the may be hosting the Olympics, the Chinese government have made little effort to open the country up and what has happened in Tibet of late, should disturb us all. The Olympics in China were for a wonderful opportunity for the country to reform its ways, but I fear that nothing has really changed and it's business as usual for the totalitarian regime that runs China. I don't believe that a boycott would solve anything as in the past they've made little difference and that countries from across the world should participate in the games. Thankfully with London, the host in 2012, we will be seeing a games held in a country where freedom of speech is allowed, we have a lot to be grateful for and as a democracy it's something we should value.