Public perception at the time of the GLC was that various things were wrong. And people's happiness or unhappiness with any situation is more to do with their perceptions than with fundamentals. Rightly or wrongly.

But if people are unhappy, the duty of the incumbent is to change the things that make people unhappy, or at least in some way to reassure.

I lived in London at the time of some of the supposed "worst excesses" of the GLC and can promise you that I was thoroughly pissed off with some of what was apparently going on. Rightly or wrongly.

At the end of the day most people are not really interested in fundamentals and will remain unhappy even though "the intelligentsia" can prove conclusively that they are better off.

So the question remains, will people generally be happy with Livingstone's tenure, or will they be unhappy (regardless of how well he is really doing). I have reservations - even though I think the guy is terrific.

And incidentally, from a centrist position, I don't believe Ken got any worse a deal from the Press than Thatcher received when it was her turn.