Eleven fight for Tory mayor role

A bumper field of 11 hopefuls will fight to become the Tory candidate to challenge Ken Livingstone for Mayor.

Lined up against front-runner Steven Norris are MPs, London Assembly members and political novices.

By contrast, Labour attracted seven applicants when it chose Nicky Gavron as its candidate earlier this year. The party refused to publish the full list of names because it was embarrassed by their lack of experience.

The strong field of genuine Tory contenders reflects optimism within the party over its hopes of winning the mayoral poll in 2004.

Conservative strategists believe that they could pull off their biggest electoral coup in years if the congestion charge proves so unpopular that it damages Mr Livingstone's chances of re-election.

Central Office officials will vet the 11 and throw out the majority-before allowing the best five through to the next stage of the selection process - a mass hustings meeting next month.

Mr Norris, 57, a leading figure on the party's liberal wing, starts as favourite to win the nomination after he finished runner-up in 2000, beating Labour into third place.

His friends believe that Rightwing opposition to a second Norris nomination will centre on Nikki Page, a model-turnedbusinesswoman and part-time aide to MP John Redwood. Her slick campaign has been well backed at Westminster and her advisers include Amanda Platell, spin doctor to former Tory leader William Hague.

Mrs Page, 51, has already issued a string of imaginative policy announcements including women-only carriages on late night Tubes and converting City Hall into cheap homes for key workers.

Competing for the support of traditionalists on the Right is Roger Evans, London Assembly member for Havering and Redbridge, who is backed by populist Romford MP Andrew Rosindell. Two challengers come from the same moderate wing of the party as Mr Norris - Croydon South MP Richard Ottaway, the Tories' former London spokesman, and Brian Coleman, an openly-gay London Assembly member.

Others on the shortlist are businesswoman Victoria Borwick, who was Mr Norris's running-mate in 2000; Ruislip-Northwood MP John Wilkinson; Brent councillor Bob Blackman; Andrew Boff, a gay Hackney councillor; Bromley council chief Michael Tickner and barrister Julian Malins.

Whoever wins the Tory nomination will face a dual assault from Mr Livingstone and the Labour candidate, Ms Gavron, who have promised to campaign together against the Tories.