The Conservatives were dealt a major blow early when Labour's Sadiq Khan became the Mayor of London. But it was a defeat which was manufactured by the Tories themselves. Whatever the Conservatives may say, London is the ultimate prize in British politics: the fact that the Tories lost the capital to a party which is being led by a man who is deeply unpopular just underlines the extent of the defeat. Zac Goldsmith was not the right candidate and claiming that London would not be safe being run by the 45-year-old Kahn was a major mistake. The comments backfired. Goldsmith is relatively unknown and I am sure that the Conservatives could have a found a better person for the job. If Boris Johnson, the outgoing mayor, had stood against Khan, he probably would have won but Boris had his eye on an even greater prize, the top job in the country. Zac is not Boris but unfortunately the Tories failed to recognise that London is a big job and you need a candidate who is up to the job.