“London needs a Mayor who can work with Government to get the resources that London needs to deal with massive pressures on housing, transport and policing but is also strong enough to stand up to the Government when it gets things wrong,” Zac Goldsmith has told the Standard.

“I have just been re-elected as MP and it’s important to know whether or not my constituents are happy for me to run for Mayor. They must have the right to say no and it is now up to them to decide without interference.”

Zac will be conducting a postal ballot of his constituents to give them the final say on the run. As Guido reported two weeks ago, friends of Zac say: “He’ll only do it if he thinks it’s genuinely what his constituents want.” It’s not like he needs to  fund-raise for the Richmond Referendum either…

UPDATE: As revealed on Sunday by Guido: first hustings is 4 July.