By Simon Bucks, Associate Editor

The Ken and Boris Show (with support from Brian) is in its last week. The curtain comes down on the London Mayoral contest on Thursday, and on Monday night (April 28th) Sky News is mounting the final debate between the trio.

All three - Livingstone, Johnson and Paddick - have been trying to avoid gaffes while sounding important, which has made recent debates seem a bit like a provincial repertory production nearing the end of its run.

London Mayor Election

Sky News meets the candidates.

But the contest itself is undoubtedly gripping not just the Capital but the whole country. Will Boris biff Ken?

And for this final clash of the candidates, Sky News has come up with something extra to spice things up.

The debate starts at 8pm, but from 7:30pm you can watch the London Mayor Debate Unplugged - in which three top political bloggers will give their take on the campaign.

Martin Stanford is in the chair, and the panellists are Jo Christie-Smith (Lib Dem),  Iain Dale (Cons) and  Alex Hilton (Lab). Martin will also have some special guests (tba). 

You can watch this on Sky News and online here at Sky.com/news on the live events player.

The debate itself starts at 8pm (hosted by Adam Boulton) and runs until 9pm. Then Martin Stanford picks up again, with second part of Unplugged, from 9 pm to 10 pm.

This will only be available to viewers online and on Sky News Active.

If you want to add your voice to the debate leave your comments here. We'll monitor the blog throughout the broadcast and add your thoughts to the discussion.

Meanwhile - if you haven't seen the video below yet, enjoy!

Comments

[Longmemory One Crawley 29 Apr 2008 17:09:57]

Please Editor do take off this ridiculous vote, re the Mayoral Race, anyone with an ounce of intelligence can see straight through it and how it's fixed, its about as genuine as a" five bob note "have you noticed the figures are almost identical to the phoney ones after all PMQs each week..Well Well ! ! I wonder why ...

[Kermit 28 Apr 2008 23:02:44]

Boulton 1 Dimbleby 0

The Sky News debate was a lot better than the Question Time set up. I believe that Boris won both of them anyway. He is the only one with any new ideas and enthusiasm. He appear to understand that we want a Mayor that helps us in our daily London lives - not a Socialist relic surrounded by his cronies.

On Thursday Boris get my vote.

[PottedMoutarde 28 Apr 2008 22:36:39]

Wow, what a show. Virtually zero crowd support for a very apathetic Livingstone who genuinely looks like he's lost interest, some good ideas from Paddick, but he seems to lack real authority, and the usual, fresh, solid, honest and entertaining performance from Boris.

Have to say though, seeing Gilligan tear apart that cocksure Labour apparatchik at the beginning was hilarious. I've got a feeling he won't be getting a call from the Nu Labour spin machine to offer him a job. Careless use of a little knowledge is not a practice one should pursue in public, it seems.

[Paul, London 28 Apr 2008 21:45:38]

I just can't vote for Ken, the only candidate that doesn't oppose ID cards.

[Bertha, Brent 28 Apr 2008 21:26:51]

I'm delighted that Boris has put crime at the top of his agenda. So many young people have lost their lives as gun crime rose under Ken's watch. Travelling on public transport is a nightmare as many people do not feel safe travelling on public transport particularly at night (or day for that matter). Ken said that there's nothing he can do about it. He's wasted so much money on his so called Advisers and pet Projects (allegedly) the money would have been better spent on our Youth!!! Shame on him!! He's responsible for the Congestion Charge Extension, plus the increase in charges (How very greedy of him). He said that fares will not be increased although he's already made a decision to raise fares. He was recently exposed for this!!! How much more can we take??? He's also the Mayor who said that no Mayor should serve more than two terms, but he's standing for a third term. Clearly, he does not believe in what he says, so why should we believe what he says???

Boris is clearly the only credible candidate and that's why I'm backing Boris!!!

[martin finchley 28 Apr 2008 20:12:06]

when is there going to be a mayor who is going to help londoners survive living in london?
not keep putting the council tax up but actively try and get it down.
not keep taxing motorists off the roads and on to over crowded trains and badly run buses.
provide affordable houses to londoners who already reside here in over inflated rental accomodation or over priced houses.
get more police on the streets and not rely on speed cameras and cctv.
put london residents first and not undesireables and those who have not already contributed to our society.

[Neil, Camden Town 28 Apr 2008 19:57:39]

I was watching a picture that was sometimes breaking up while Andew Gilligan was being introduced.
Did I miss Sky News making it clear to its viewers that Andrew Gilligan was hired by Boris Johnson (when editor of The Spectator)after he was forced to resign from the BBC.
If I did miss it, my apologies.
If not, I think it important that Sky should declare this.

[Eddie. Piner 28 Apr 2008 19:45:36]

Ken Livingston MUST be asked why he denied knowing anything about the Super Mosque application whose London Development Agency has already signalled that he thinks it is a good thing for London to have an Islamic landmark.

[KEN TOTTENHAM 28 Apr 2008 18:37:43]

Hi, i just got in and have received a letter today from David Lammy MP,
the letter spends the 1st 3/4s of it telling me how Boris is from henly and couldn't care less about Tottenham blah blah, then what i noticed was the finale 1/4 has in bold (THE BNP ONLY NEED TO WIN %5 OF THE VOTE TO BE IN CITY HALL) nowhere in the letter does it mention conservative, and when you think most of haringeys population don't speak English as a 1st language this is clearly designed to give the impression that Boris is running on behalf of the BNP please bring this to his attention

[Rob.e 28 Apr 2008 18:24:59]

couldn't agree more Dave!
the other 3 are scared of losing precious votes..otherwise they wouldn't have all got together and unveiled their anti bnp poster. do they not think that us londoners can't think for ourselves?
why is it just got to be about them 3 anyway? how elitist!

[Clare 28 Apr 2008 18:06:02]

Please can Boris clarify what, exactly, he meant when he said "I once abortively, and I stress abortively, tried ... cocaine" and then went on to say that it had no discernable effect on him. Fair enough, it had no effect but what was 'abortive' about his taking it? Either he took it and it had no effect, or he didn't take it. I just don't see how taking something which has no effect on you constitutes taking something 'abortively'. Is this similar to the recent Hillary Clinton 'mis-speaking' episode? I think we should be told!
Clare,
Pimlico.

[Phil - Amsterdam 28 Apr 2008 17:01:21]

Remember folks come October good old Ken brings in the 25.00 quid con charge. Does he honestly think it won´t have a knock on effect to the cost of living in London. Company´s will start to leave the capitial and that means job loss´s.

[Jon, cephalonia, greece 28 Apr 2008 16:25:00]

Just seen the Rainbow version, how close they are to a true likeness. As an ex Londoner, there is now way I would have voted for Red Ken. He has tried to destroy Londoners and their city. He must go, like all Labour politicians, its time to say good bye to your cushy little jobs.

Its interesting that Ken was played by Zippy, its now time to pull that zipper accross Red Kens face and shut him up for good...

[Dave Knottingley 28 Apr 2008 16:17:56]

Just like to point out that the only party speaking any truth and honesty is the bnp, but the only problem is without reading any policies or checking out their website, straight away everybody panicks.. ow no the bnp !!! I say ow please ....

[Mr-Spiggot, Kensington 28 Apr 2008 15:37:58]

If Boulton is involved it'll probably be more biased towards King Newt than Question Time was last Thursday.

[Elizabeth Davies Cape Town 28 Apr 2008 14:48:32]

I am not a Londoner, but I do travel to London a few times a year, and stay in central London. I have heard about the conjestion charge for vehicles in central London.
How do delivery companies pay these extra charges, must be added on to your bills at the restaurants and hotels. London is a great city but in the past few years I have noticed how really expensive London is to visit. Hope Boris drops the conjestion charge. I think it would be encouraging for business in London.

[Antonia, Harrow 28 Apr 2008 14:36:49]

Could Adam Bolton familarise himself thoroughly with tonight's articles by Andrew Gilligan of the Evening Standard, exposing Ken & Labour's dirty tricks. Outright lies being circulated to Muslims & the Bengali community that Boris would ban the Koran .... Also that Boris would remove the Freedom Pass from Pensioners and the dirty tricks employed, ringing pensioners to frighten them and convince they need to vote for Ken if they still want to hold on to their Freedom Passes. Ken & Labour are turning to Mugabe like tactics to steal the election.
Adam should also question Ken about the misuse of TFL and other funds from City Hall being used to woo the Latino vote and £80,000 jobs being promised to the Muslims and Latinos. An abuse of power and a misuse of our taxes.

Please Adam, do read the Evening Standard tonight before the debate.

[Khalid 28 Apr 2008 12:46:50]

Sir
And what a week we have in-store for London as we contend the mayoral chances of office policy.
Whilst I decifer the last question posted on the politcial blog thereto, what will be prospects reduce the London Congestion Charge to so as to accomodate the low emmission surrounding many a MOT related free parking and will I be able to use my Oyster card to tarvel nationwide at a maximum daily cost of £10 between the ten national overground zones that someone in current authoroty put underground? Would the [Barbie Girl] like an [Aqua]?