How Boris Johnson is fighting for his political survival

London For the British Conservatives, Wandsworth is what most municipalities in the Oberallgäu are for the CSU: a seemingly impregnable party stronghold. The Tories have ruled the London borough south of the Thames for 44 years. “Wandsworth has always been Margaret Thatcher’s favorite area,” says Conservative City Council Chairman Ravi Govindia. Here, not far from the striking Battersea power station, the “Iron Lady” launched her nationwide campaign to privatize public services in the 1980s.

In Thursday’s local elections, Govindia, who has headed the city council for 11 years, is relying on Thatcherism’s proven formula: low taxes and efficient administration. The City Council has cut local taxes by another 1 percent, bolstering the affluent borough’s reputation as London’s tax haven.