The contest to be elected Mayor of London is rapidly gaining momentum and this week the three main contenders will be pitching their arguments on BBC London for why they are the best candidate for the job.
First up was Conservative candidate Boris Johnson on Monday night. Watch him being interviewed by Riz Lateef and answering your questions by clicking on the link below:
Race for London Mayor 2008| | Boris Johnson interviewed on BBC London |
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| Film maker: | BBC London |
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| Date: | January 14 2008 |
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Ken Livingstone took the hotseat on Tuesday night's programme and was asked extensively about transport issues. Watch his interview with Riz by clicking the link below.
Ken Livingstone's mayoral pledges| | Ken Livingstone interviewed on BBC London |
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| Film maker: | BBC London |
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| Date: | January 15 2008 |
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Lib Dem candidate Brian Paddick was in the studio to answer your questions on Wednesday's programme. Watch his interview with Riz by clicking on the link below.
Brian Paddick's Mayoral Plans| | Brian Paddick interviewed on BBC London |
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| Film maker: | BBC London |
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| Date: | January 16th 2008 |
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The election for Mayor of London and the London Assembly will be held on 1st May 2008.
For more information and other candidates:
Send in your comments to yourlondon@bbc.co.uk
Your Views
Ken says tube fears have risen 1.5% in the last 8 years? Rubbish!!!
A Zone 1-4 annual travel card rose by 4.1% in 2006, 3.9% in 07, and 5.1% for 08....!!
Chris Rogers
What a great account ken gave and what a contrast to boris yesterday. Ken knows the facts; has clear policies and is taking London forward, he has also shown he can respond appropriately to any event- like the horror of 7/7. He must continue as mayor!
Richard Abendorff
lewisham
Ken Livingstone is talking rubbish when he says there are police on London buses. I travel by bus frequently only because i have to and i've never seen a policeman on a bus even when there are gangs of kids causing mayhem.
Bill Grundy London E14
Ken Livingstone showed that he is a Mayor for all Londoners - young and old. Making our world city accessible to travel in from free travel to young people to free travel to pensioners. His investment in police, and support for youth services is a serious response to challenges facing the whole country.
Liz Hutchins
If Ken Livingston made his journeys on the 73 and other similar buses, then he would understand how threatening and unsafe it is on London buses these days. Where are his police on the buses? I've never seen them when the youths are threatening to stab me when I have asked them to turn down the music they are broadcasting on these buses. He hasn't a clue.
Jackie Kane
It's totally clear that Ken really gets the details of the problems facing Londoners. On the other hand Boris Johnson just gives some kind of vague comment but doesn't have a clue about what he's going to do. We need a Mayor who knows what he's about, not a joker like Boris.
Ben Soffa
One wonders how Ken gets to work and back, because it clearly isn't on a bus. He knows NOTHING about the behaviour of teens and the language and intimidation on buses!
David Prinsloo
Why is it that a world-class city such as London seems only able to manage to get mayoral candidates of this poor caliber? We've been repulsed by for years by Ken "Gollum" Livingstone.. and now were are presented with this drop-out from the Muppets cast as an option? Is this the best we can do???
Tamysan Hite
Boris has not even got his policies yet on the congestion zone and he hasn't done his sums as you saw. His incompetence would be an embarrassment for London and would cause chaos Boris Johnson may be a funny joker but as mayor of London he would be no joke! He is foot in mouth made human!
Simon Webbe
How can anyone trust Ken with a budget when so recently six of the highest paid workers in the entire country across both public and private sector were Americans at Transport for London who were all appointments and never actually applied for their jobs?
Ann Fine
When will Boris Johnson start taking the election seriously? He must get some policies and start using accurate facts and figures. Judging by his performance tonight he obvioiusly can't keep winging it and talking in cabbie generalisatio and vague unfounded half truths.
Richard Barnes
A little brain wave from good old Boris. put the "Police Support Officers" in the Office and our "Policemen on the beat" !
Brilliant Boris !!!!!!!!!!!!!! You get my vote !
Frances Eastwell
If Boris Johnson really considers crime to be the number one issue why is he so dissmissive of the statistics on crime. Firtsly, they indicate what are the problems that the Met police have to really address. Secondly they indicate that in most areas of crime the Met is being overwhelming succesful as crime continues to fall in London. He says that he thinks that there is an 'epidemic' of unreported crime without giving any evidence. It makes much more sense for police resources to be directed where there is real evidence that crime is really happening than, as Johnson suggests, to base these decissions on what people 'feel' to be the case.
Peter Grigson
Please correct me if I am wrong, but wasn't Brian Paddick instrumental in implementing new rules for the de - criminalisation of cannibis in Lambeth.
Which caused a lot of the youth aged approximately 12-15yrs to arrive at local schools "stoned".
Now a strong link has clearly been proved between the use of cannabis and mental health problems. This has in turn also contributed to the rise in youth gun crime in lambeth borough.
Do Londoners really want him to create more damage?
Vanessa Mori
While I am in principle in favour of the congestion charge for inner London, there are some occasions when one really needs to take the car into town--in my case to meet either grandchildren or elderly relatives/friends from coach & rail stations, especially if they have heavy luggage to transport. Would it not be possible for motorists whose cars are registered in the London area to be granted a limited number of 'free entries'--say 24 p.a.which would average out at 2 per month ( you need one when you meet them & one when you see them off!) Also those of us who live in South East London do not have the benefit of the underground--surely therefore, we should be able to use our Oyster cards on the local railways, rather than be dependent on the dreadful bus services which are supposed to serve this neighbourhood!
Similarly, accompanied children can travel free on the underground--if I want to take my grandchildren up to town for either a cultural activity or a shopping spree, I have to pay rail fares or use the buses--it really ain't fair--and as Ken Livingstone & the Lib Dem candidates have links with S.E London, a little undersstanding of our plight would not come amiss!
Ruth Gilchrist
Would the Mayor agree, the reason we have a major traffic Congestion in greater London, is because the road schemes that was planned during the 60s 70s 80s & 90s has been abandoned/not progressed due to political scandals? This with different Governments, Local Boroughs over the years cant seem to agree on a whole GLA project.But as Ken controls GLA, He Has the power to push through plans but hates cars, thus we are not progressing.I agree public should be encouraged to use public transport to go in/out CENTRAL Ldn. But if you want to go Surburb to surburb, especially with family/group on evenings & weekends, A high quality Radial & circular routes, planned decades ago,Car is the best option!Why does the Mayor not invest a good inner & outer ring rds for Gtr Ldn? Paris HAS 4 motorway style ring rds. Look at our Sth cir rd, its just a poor sign posted route. The Nth cir by Ealing, Hangers La, Bounds Grn urgently upgrading to the standard, the Highways agency had planned. Not a cheap short term scheme so politians pocket the money in themselves.The M1 was planned to join up with the M23 via White city, this in effect would of been a fast route, say from Harrow to Croydon. An M23 extention into London to a new Sth cir rd, would be a Croydon Bypass.The A40 had been planned to have graded junctions @ gypsie corner, but now makes it difficult as ken has allowed flats built along the route that land was reserved by Convervative Government.DOES KEN agree, that cars are on their way to Become a ZERO pollution, when Hydrogen/fuel cell cars will be available in the near future?Why does other British Commonwealth Countries, ie Canada/Australia, their cites have fantastic roads & urban Motorways/high speed routes, & LDN does not? yet WE are the richest than them & suppose to be the 4th largest economy? Why you wasting So much money & getting away with it?
Jayesh
Please ask Ken Livingstone : Does he think it is ethical to make £50 million in congestion Charge fines, from a full proof road pricing system that, unlike parking, does not need a deterrent factor? Especially when the vast amount of people penalised are the law abiding public who, like myself are not trying to evade payment but have forgotten too or had other similar problems in trying to pay . This is especially relevant when there are so many opportunities to avoid penalising these people i.e. automatic debiting, a warning text or letter system etc etc , The only logical conclusion one can draw is that it is an extremely cynical piece of revenue raising and one that’s makes me despair of someone, like Ken, who normally sets ethics at the top of his agenda. Perhaps he thinks no one notices.
Louis Quail
