As Boris Johnson bowed out as mayor before the Tory faithful with a trademark bang, Zac Goldsmith took up the baton with a definite whimper.
While it is always a challenge to be the warm-up act for one of the best orators the Tories have produced for a generation, London Tories will have hardly been enthused by this drab display from their new mayoral candidate.
Yes, he may be posh like Boris – but there the similarity ends.
Frankly, it was all a bit dull.
The tone and delivery was more suited to a branch fundraiser, not a rallying cry from a man who wants to lead the best city in the world – and certainly not a speech befitting Goldsmith’s reputation as a backbench maverick, on everything from MPs’ recall to antibiotics.
Perhaps the real rebel was the one who told a Tory fringe in 2013, also in Manchester: ‘The odds of my succeeding in the mayoral contest, I think people have had enough of white male Etonians, I’m not sure my chances would be very high’.
Such frank speaking deserted him yesterday; he sounded utterly establishment, and chickened out of standing up for London in the process.
He followed home secretary Theresa May’s efforts to turn the clock back to 1930s, rather than look ahead to the 2030s, in one of the most reactionary, illiberal, tawdry, base-baiting, dog-whistle speeches given by a Tory in recent times.
How poorly May’s return to the rhetoric of what she called the nasty party sits with anyone seeking to meet the challenge of governing London.
Remarkably, Goldsmith did nothing to challenge her analysis.
London deserves a politician who will speak up for tolerance, diversity and the huge economic benefits immigration has brought and continues to bring to London. What we saw yesterday was one who did nothing to challenge May’s abrogation of the public interest in her search for support from the party faithful.
He needed to put his city before his party – but flunked this test.
And he also failed to challenge the conference audience on the Tories’ incurable itch – Europe.
London unquestionably benefits from membership of the European Union. Leaving the world’s largest trading bloc would prove ruinous for our capital’s economy and Londoners’ prosperity. But not a word from the man who wants to be mayor on this vital issue.
Will he campaign to stay in? Does he think London’s economy can survive outside the EU? We are none the wiser.
However, his most telling failure was on the city’s greatest challenge: housing.
Just like the chancellor, the policy highlights came from lightning raids on Labour policy, like realising the potential of existing publicly owned brownfield land for development.
But Goldsmith ducked the challenge issued by Sadiq Khan at Labour conference last week – to rise above party politics and do the right thing for London, by opposing the Tories’ dangerous housing bill which will see the sell-off of housing association property, partially funded by making councils sell their most valuable council homes.
Given his disdain for the party whip and the frontbench, surely this would be a no-brainer? Sadly, no.
Indeed, there was nothing to match Khan’s excellent plans for a London Living Rent or for an innovative approach to attracting new investment like the London Home Bond.
Sadiq was right to say he would turn the mayoral race into a referendum on London’s housing crisis. He spoke last week with a passion about the importance of affordable housing in shaping his life and the life chances of all Londoners.
By contrast, Goldsmith had none of the passion and none of the vision London deserves and sorely needs. By contrast, Sadiq’s speech last week was fizzing with ideas and energy for the capital.
Ditching his free-speaking reputation, Goldsmith’s downbeat display showed he is little more than Boris-lite – the same policy black hole, but without the gags.
On this display, he will find Boris too tough an act to follow.
———————————