London Mayoral & Local Election(s) Coverage 2012

To me, they just resemble the night and day backdrops used in N6.

Explanation of how Jeremy Vine's graphics are put together:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17920260

Why has there been no in-depth reports about the Mayoral elections that are taking place OUTSIDE Greater London?

The London Mayor elections bear no valuation whatsoever for people outside Greater London. Sure London has a fifth of the population but what about the other 80% of the voting population of the UK, and who live overseas.

What about the Mayoral elections, being screened nationwide, for Manchester, Salford, Liverpool? Sure I have seen Nottingham mentioned a couple of times, but London seems to overtake the news!

That's true. BBC News Channel had a big feature on Birmingham yesterday with live interviews but I don't think anywhere else has been mentioned much.

The Mayor of London is the most powerful directly elected politician in the country and the 2 main candidates are both very well known nationally - that's why it gets so much coverage. It's not just the local elections elsewhere in the UK that get less coverage - even in London, the London Assembly elections have had almost no coverage.

The other elected mayors in the UK have a lot less power, not just because of the smaller cities, they just aren't in charge of as much.


Why would people overseas be interested the local elections, let alone who's Mayor of Doncaster?

Isn't Birmingham a referendum on having a mayor rather than an election for one?

And its the same with Manchester - but even so, how much mention have they had on the national news, compared to what London is getting?

Liverpool and Salford are actually voting for Mayor's and I don't think they have even been mentioned on the national news?

Voting for a mayor's what?

As I said - they aren't as powerful and the candidates aren't well known

It's the first time Liverpool has ever had an elected mayor. Surely that's newsworthy enough to make the national news, regardless of the importance of the city or the popularity of the candidates?

I have heard quite a bit of referendum/election coverage on Radio 4 where they have sent reporters to the various cities, Liverpool included. Yes, the London mayor is more important (for all of us), but there has been a distinct lack of coverage for all parts of this election in my opinion. There is just so much news around at the moment that it must be a nightmare for editors. But I would have hoped this week for slightly less focus on stupid phrases MPs put into a report and more election focus.

And in fact there is much anger in Liverpool that there was no referendum, something that has been barely covered in North West Tonight, never mind the News Channel.

I live 200 miles away from London and I note you must live in Scotland. How exactly is the London mayor important to us?

In my opinion, if they're going to subject those who don't live in London (i.e. the majority of British people) to coverage of the mayoral election there, I see no reason why they can't give a similar amount of attention to non-London elections. It's only fair and balanced.