Livingstone and Johnson in final push for votes as Mayor race gets personal » Local Government » 24dash.com

On the final day of campaigning before tomorrow's election of the Mayor of London, the two leading contenders were today making a last pitch for votes in what is expected to be the closest contest since the position was created.

Labour's Ken Livingstone was using newspaper adverts, posters in Tube stations and a million postcards to households around London to brand his main rival Boris Johnson "a joke".

Meanwhile, Conservative challenger Mr Johnson was meeting commuters at Waterloo before taking his battlebus to canvass deep into the traditional Labour stronghold of Haringey in north London.

Polls in recent weeks have shown the two men virtually neck and neck, with the exception of a series of YouGov surveys for the Evening Standard - the subject of complaints from the Livingstone campaign - which have consistently given Mr Johnson a strong lead, most recently by 11 points.

The result of tomorrow's election, due to be announced on Friday afternoon, is almost certain to depend on second preference votes, which will be reallocated among the two candidates who top the poll after the first round of counting.

Mr Livingstone was this morning appearing in east London to unveil an appeal to the capital's electorate: "Don't Vote For a Joke - Vote For London".

He repeated claims - rejected by the Johnson campaign - that the Tory candidate would put Freedom Pass travel for older public transport users at risk.

Mr Johnson has promised the Pass's future will be "100% guaranteed" if he is elected mayor and says he will work with local councils to extend it to 24-hour operation.

But Mr Livingstone cited a statement from Johnson backer Brian Cooke, circulated by the Conservatives earlier this week, in which the London TravelWatch chairman described the Mayor's plan to allow Pass use before 9am as "plain daft".

Mr Livingstone said he had already pledged £20 million to ensure the Pass is extended to 24-hour operation by the end of this year.

He said: "The series of attacks on the Freedom Pass by Boris Johnson supporters, such as the claim that it is a 'stealth tax' and the savage attack on the 24-hour Freedom Pass policy released by Boris Johnson's campaign on Monday, demonstrate what would be in store if Boris Johnson became Mayor.

"My commitment to extend the Freedom Pass so that older and disabled Londoners can use it before 9am was my first manifesto commitment of the campaign and I will ensure it is delivered this year."