Election too close to call

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Ken Livingstone and Boris Johnson are gearing up for the last few days of the London Mayoral race, with the election still too close to call, and focusing on different aspects of the campaign.

Mr Livingstone will highlight transport today.

He said: "In the last four years as Mayor I have secured the largest transport investment programme London has seen for over 50 years.

"London will spend £39 billion on this in 10 years.

"The first decisive test of the Mayor's ability to run the city in the interest of Londoners is to take the right decisions on this huge programme which dwarfs all other spending in London.

"In each of the key choices in this the decisions I have taken were proved to be right and Boris Johnson has supported the wrong one."

He criticised Mr Johnson over his past stance questioning the need to have Tube maintenance in the public sector and alleged failure to understand the importance of the Crossrail project for London.

"His flagship bus policy for a 'replacement Routemaster with conductors', which he claimed would cost £8 million a year, was shown by independent experts to cost more than £100 million a year - requiring a £2 a week increase in bus fares across London.

"These are the biggest financial choices in London and on all of them Boris Johnson supported completely the wrong decision on issues so large they would have hit every Londoner in their wallet or purse.

"Londoners therefore have a clear choice between the right decisions I took as Mayor and the incompetently wrong ones Boris Johnson would have taken."

Meanwhile a spokeswoman for Mr Johnson said four more years of Mr Livingstone would mean "more council tax and fare rises and more waste at City Hall".

Mr Johnson regards crime as the main issue in the election, she said.

"Boris Johnson will spend the next few days displaying the choice that London has on Thursday. A choice between the current Mayor who is tired, stale and has run out of ideas and Boris Johnson - a man who has set out a range of policies to change London for the better.

"However if Londoners want that change, they have to vote for it.

"Boris will be reminding Londoners what another four more years of Ken Livingstone will mean - more council tax and fare rises and more waste at City Hall.

"Focusing on what Boris thinks is the main issue in this election, namely crime, the Conservative Candidate for Mayor of London will spell out how the Mayor has failed to protect the most vulnerable in the city. 27 young men died last year and another 11 already this year.

"Boris's crime manifesto spells out how he plans to tackle the shocking trend and while the Mayor throws his hands up the air and says 'nothing can be done', Boris intends to change London for the better and make the city a safer place for us all to live in.

"But whatever happens, if people want a change they have to vote for it on May 1st. Now is their opportunity for a fresh start in London."

The pair will have the last TV debate before the poll tonight, together with Liberal Democrat candidate Brian Paddick, on Sky News.

Recent polls have shown the two main candidates running neck and neck.

A Mruk Cello survey for The Sunday Times showed Mr Livingstone two points ahead of his Tory rival.

When important second preferences are taken into account, Mr Livingstone was on 51% compared to 49% for Mr Johnson.

Last week the same poll, considering those who were very likely or certain to vote, put them both on 50%.