The Mayoral race of London is definitely on. Last time, all Ken Livingstone had to beat off was Frank Dobson, a fluffy, wet, west London Tory, happy to retire into his own fluffy beard.Or was that the time before? Nobody can tell. This time there’s a potential tory Trojan horse in the unlikely, non-equestrian looking Boris Johnson.
If we’re going to keep this animal metaphor going, he’s like a bear, cute and fluffy but with a surprisingly vicious, potentially killer swipe.
“I want to champion business,” Boris told City Am yesterday morning, in a staged, darkly shot pose, that made him slightly resemble Timothy Spall in one of Mike Leigh’s darker moments. But then he wasn’t talking about the environment to them. His actual green stance is thus: “London has lost record numbers of street trees. Our city has the worst record on recycling in the country. And, despite being one of the first major cities in the world to introduce clean air regulations, thousands of Londoners die every year from illnesses relating to poor air quality.”
From what we can gather, Boris also intends to plant even more trees, revocate the bendy bus and repeal the congestion charge, at least out of Chelsea.
Ken Livingstone has been man-marked the whole campaign by the Evening Standard, or the anti-Ken polemic pamplet with some news, as we like to refer to it as, though not very snappy admittedly. But has Ken lost his edge after eight years in charge? Ken is keen to talk up his record, rather than promote new initiatives: “Over the last eight years, London has become a world leader in the battle to prevent catastrophic climate change. Since I became mayor, there has been an
83% increase in cycling, and London is the only major city in the world to shift from private car use to public transport.”
Ex-filth and all round good guy Brian Paddock, who may have a major say in the outcome due to the proportional, two vote system is all about trees too.
“We will plant 10,000 new trees to help ensure that London becomes the greenest capital in Europe. All major new developments must be self-sustaining in energy, waste, and water consumption. Our key theme will be improving the quality of life for all Londoners.”
Siân Berry of the Greens has the last word.
“My pledge is to put cutting the cost of living and cutting carbon emissions at the heart of all my policies. My London campaign shows that, done right, fighting climate change saves, not costs, money. Being Green is about believing in a fair share for everybody.”
Actually, Global Cool London readers, you have the last word. Choose wisely.
Frank Dobson may have a beard but it’s somewhat cruel, not to mention wrong, to call the Labour MP for Holborn and St Pancras a Tory.
Comment by Tim Burke — May 16, 2008 @ 10:19 am