Politics, pah! But we'll fight like crazy to save our local

Ken or Boris? Who cares? Not my generation. Those who do care would unreservedly plump for Brian, if only because he is gay and had a lover who claimed he used to smoke weed (vehemently denied). They might even lobby for him, too, were it not for the sad fact that he doesn't have a pig's chance of getting elected. As usual, this is a two-horse race.

It's not that my generation is apolitical. It's just very hard to get impassioned about things you feel you have such little power to change. Which is probably why we choose our battles wisely. Apathetic as we are about whether the blonde one beats the bald one, we turn into veritable Tony Benns if our local pub is under threat.

Last week, the most "couldn't give a f***" man in Britain, Pete Doherty, staged a Save The Torriano gig in support of a Kentish Town pub under threat of closure, playing to a jampacked room of guests who had paid £20 for a ticket. His ex-girlfriend Kate Moss, meanwhile, is equally passionate about saving The George in Stepney, whose livelihood is under threat by a proposed property development.

Why does cold beer galvanise my generation more than the congestion charge? Pubs are brilliant. A good pub is a friend when you're up, a friend when you're down, and a glorious equaliser in a city obsessed with status. The haves and have-nots are as one in the pub, united in the cheerful pursuit of getting hammered.

I can't think of many leisure pursuits in London - clubbing, keeping fit, eating out, going to the theatre or the football - where enjoyment doesn't come at a price; an increasingly high one. Everybody can afford a pint - and if they can't, somebody will buy one for them. Buying somebody a drink is as simple an affirmation of love and friendship as you can get for under £3.

Unfortunately, 2007 was the worst year for trade since 1869. According to the British Beer and Pub Association, 14 million fewer pints a day are being sold compared with 20 years ago, with two or three businesses closing every day. To add insult to injury, those that close in London seem almost universally to be redeveloped into yet more flats than nobody can afford.

But Kate 'n' Pete are right: protesting can make a difference. The Greyhound in Sydenham was recently granted a reprieve after locals fought against its closure, and while its future is not safe yet, its owners were heartened enough by their support to rethink plans. And so they should. Pubs are the lifeblood of any city. To many, their disappearance from the landscape would be a far bigger tragedy than whether the congestion charge was scrapped. Here's a tip for budding mayors: support your local pub and we might just support you.