Response to [CLICK HERE to read or add to Kennington News]

Go slow on the mayor's campaign

Guardian

Thursday May 9, 2002

I don't agree that Labour should embrace Ken Livingstone (Comment, May 7). The one major result of Livingstone's regime is scheduled to be the introduction of congestion charging. The siting of the resulting inner ring road is one of the prime factors in Labour's losing control of Lambeth and Southwark.

Livingstone has shown a contempt for consultation - two public meetings were held on congestion charging, neither of them south of the river, and requests for public consultation were turned down. The effects of the ring road will counter many of the mayor's other obligations, such as regeneration of zones of deprivation and the requirement to reduce noise and air pollution in areas which are already above WHO levels. So much for joined-up government. If Labour wants to win London, it should put up a candidate popular with Londoners - such as Kate Hoey.

Prof Gordon McDougall

London

gordon@newstages.plus.com

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