Boris Johnson Faces First Question Time

On Wednesday Boris took questions from the London Assembly.

The question time format provides a useful opportunity to raise constituency matters, so I started by asking about the withdrawal of bus route 500 which serves Havering-Atte-Bower. For some years now we have been trying to get TfL to provide a decent bus service to the village, not only for local people, but also for visitors and staff travelling to St Francis' Hospice, including up to 20 day patients. Livingstone's administration always refused to consider providing a service, preferring to focus their efforts on inner London. Boris made a good start by expressing support and agreeing to meet with myself and Romford MP, Andrew Rosindell, to discuss possible solutions, including extending existing bus services to the village.

I also raised the level of cleaning in the Gants Hill subways, and the Mayor has promised to have this reviewed.

Labour members chose to snipe away, with a puerile stunt involving a cycling helmet and detailed questions which no reasonable person would expect to get an answer to without providing notice. Perhaps they were asleep for the last eight years, because they should have remembered that Livingstone never gave a detailed response, and the MQT format allowed him to avoid doing so - clearly they need to go away and rethink their approach, as with so many things...

And former politicians Peter Hulme Cross and Ken Livingstone were in the gallery, the latter looking sour and out of place. The quality of political groupies has declined since April.

Term Limits

I understand that Boris has written to the Government, asking them to impose a two term limit on the Mayor's job. The effect would be to prevent anyone serving longer than eight years in the post. This follows a failed attempt to insert a two term limit in the act which extended the GLA's powers recently.

Term limits are common in America, but are unheard of here, and I have mixed feelings. We showed that in London, it is possible to beat a strong incumbent who supposedly holds all the advantages, so is a limit really needed?

Term limits would have cut Margaret Thatcher's rule short in 1987, and ended Tony Blair's reign in 2005 - would this really have been a good thing?

For my own experience, I did three terms as a Waltham Forest councillor and by the end I was getting a bit stale, I would not have wanted to do four. On the other hand, I'm on my third term at the London Assembly and - thanks to the change of Mayor - it really does feel like a new job.

Now, I do think we should be writing to the Government asking them to end 'proportional representation' for the London elections, but that is a different story...

Term limits - good or bad?

New Brooms at City Hall

SJM asks how things have changed at City Hall. The atmosphere is different:

In the old days silence would fall when Conservative members entered the lift. Conversations ceased, papers were clutched to chests (to avoid a Caroline Flint style leak), backs pressed to walls. As you left the lift on the sixth floor, talking would resume...

Now the staff are more keen to speak to us. Several times people have asked me if I am one of the 'new intake' or the 'old guard', because there are plenty of new faces around. Amongst the existing staff there is relief that Boris has not pursued a scorched earth policy, and quite a number have found interesting new jobs working for him. Meanwhile, we have been bombarded with unsolicited CVs from people who want to work for Boris.

On the Mayor's floor, the new team is taking shape. The Mayor is gathering around him a London version of the Government of All Talents, with imaginative appointments including Ray Lewis and Kate Hoey, along with experienced Tories like Steven Norris. I have been up there more times in the last eight days than I did in the eight years that Livingstone was in charge. Old names above the office doors hark back to the past era, but many of them have gone elsewhere. Some changes are needed - under the old regime the floor was a maze of partitions and barriers (now being removed), and some of the offices were pretty grim, one being more like a lurid pink telephone kiosk than a place of work.

On the seventh floor the remnants of Labour, the Liberals and the Greens have had the mother of all battles over office space (despite having fewer members), however they did get their act together sufficiently to grab all the top Assembly jobs, shutting out the 11 Conservatives and the BNP member. Obviously they feel they can run the Assembly with just 13 members, but the prospects are not good as they tried and failed with 15 members eight years ago. Expect them to come crawling back for help within six months...

The Conservative group occupy the sixth floor once more. With seven new members, there is a lot of enthusiasm and climbing of the learning curve. Richard Barnes is group leader again, I am deputy leader again, and new member Richard Tracey is group whip. There has never been such a large political group at City Hall, so keeping everyone in the loop will be a challenge.

And BNP man Barnbrook has taken up residence in the office formerly used by UKIP (who became 'One London'). He raised a number of challenges at the assembly AGM and clearly sees himself as some sort of enfant terrible. However much we detest his views, he was democratically elected and has a right to play a full part in assembly committees, so we wait to see how he will interpret his role. He supported green member Darren Johnson in his bid to be deputy chair of the assembly...

Last of the Londoner

The Mayor has made good on his election promise and ceased publication of 'The Londoner', Livingstone's supportive propaganda sheet.

This move will save £2.9 million from the City Hall budget and Boris plans to invest £1 million of this in planting new street trees around London. This instead of cutting trees down to make newspapers. Where the trees will go is still to be decided, so any suggestions would be welcome - I will pass them on.

Under the old regime, Transport for London, the Met Police and of course the LDA, were forced to contribute to the cost of producing the Londoner. TfL had to buy three full pages of advertising in every issue. Only the Fire Brigade escaped the 'Londoner Tax' because members of its authority were brave enough to reject Livingstone's edict.

Boris has made a flying start in his first week - long may the new broom continue to sweep clean.

Thank You

The result of the election in Havering & Redbridge was as follows:

Roger Evans Conservative 78,493
Balvinder Saund Labour 35,468
Farrukh Islam Lib Dem 12,443
Lawrence Webb UKIP 12, 203
Ashley Gunstock Green 9,126
Leo Brookes English Democrat 6,487
Paula Warren Christian Peoples Party 5,533
Peter Thorogood Independent 3,450
Carole Vincent Left List 1,473

Giving a conservative majority of 43,025. The large turnout also helped to elect Boris Johnson and gives us a Conservative group on the Assembly of 11 - the largest political group to be elected to City Hall in the GLA's short history.

Can I thank everyone who campaigned for us and everyone who took the time to vote - this was a great result for democracy as well as my party. I return as the member for Havering & Redbridge, an area I am proud to represent, and I will work for all my constituents regardless of their politics, over the coming four years.

Winter Campaigning

We were out this morning, leafletting and meeting residents around Airfield Way in Hornchurch. Despite the unseasonal weather, we covered a lot of ground and got a generally positive response from people who want to see Boris win.

In this picture, I'm accompanied by James Brokenshire, the local MP, as we wait to cross the road. There has been a lot of new development on the east side of Airfield Way and the pedestrian crossings are no longer conveniently located for the people who have moved in. That is why I'm asking Havering Council to consider installing a new crossing in a better location.

Post Office Protest

Yesterday morning I spent several hours protesting outside post office in Woodford Avenue with local councillors. Feelings are strong and only one person refused to sign our petition, which Ilford North MP Lee Scott, intends to present to the government.

Many of the customers were older people who were worried about the extra distance the closure would force them to travel. I also spoke to a local businessman who was concerned about the security of the alternative post offices, and to a Labour supporter who was happy to sign our petition because he agreed with the cause.

Five post offices are slated for closure in Redbridge and there is widespread anger and concern. I worked for the Post Office for ten years back in the eighties when there was often talk of privatisation, but never of implementing cuts as deep as this. I can't understand their psychology, but one of their representatives is coming to see me on Monday, so perhaps they will explain.

And our London 'watchdog', Postwatch has been pretty toothless about this as well. Some of their comments show a resignation to the cuts, rather than a desire to fight for the customers.

Boris in Havering

The neighbourhood police team in Harold Wood are one of the most popular and successful teams in North East London, so it is no surprise that Conservative Mayoral Candidate, Boris Johnson, wanted to meet them and learn about their work.

Here he is pictured with PCSOs on bicycles which were purchased for them by local businesses. Boris heard how they had used their bikes to combat the 'mini moped' nuisance over the summer, chasing rogue drivers across country. Mini mopeds are now a thing of the past in Harold Hill.

Boris also visited the refurbished library and spoke to shoppers, who gave him a very enthuisiastic welcome.

He went on to be interviewed live by community radio station, Link FM and gave a well received speech at a packed dinner.

Special MQT Alert

The Mayor will be attending a special meeting of the Assembly on Thursday evening at City Hall to answer questions about some of the funding allegations that have been made in recent weeks. It promises to be a sparky meeting.

Mysteries of the LEZ

New LEZ signs have been proliferating around London recently. This sign is at the end of Stanley Road in North Chingford. But what is it telling us?

Stanley Road is a dead end - about 200 yards further on it is blocked by a railway line. Neighbouring roads are also dead ends, and they also have these new signs. Is the LEZ confined to these roads? - of course not. The sign isn't even on the boundary of the zone - you are in the LEZ whichever side of it you stand.

So why is it there?

I stand corrected - Station Road is the boundary of the zone, so the sign is correctly located. However I can understand the concerns of residents who cannot see why their short dead end roads are included in the zone. Perhaps in this case the railway line would have been a more suitable choice.

Leyton Campaign

Yesterday morning I joined campaigners in Leyton, where there is a by election caused by the well documented resignation of Labour councillor, Miranda Grell. There were a dozen of us and the reception we got was friendly, despite the traditionally low level of support we have enjoyed here. There were signs of activity from other parties - a couple of Labour people passed us in a car, there was one Liberal delivering newsletters (and quite a lot of Liberal posters) and Green party leaflets lying around.

The picture of local activists includes London Assembly candidate Alex Ellis, and Waltham Forest opposition leader Matt Davies.

TfL Blow the Budget

At this morning's budget committee TfL presented their reasons for overspending their consultancy budget by £35 million (which is significant on a base of £130 million). The main items they highlighted in their report were:

London Underground

Expenditure on professional and consultancy fees at £34.8m was £4.1m above budget as a result of additional legal costs of £2.5m relating to claims including Chancery Lane and the Northern Line tripcocks. Operational consultancy was overspent by £2.4m in connection with work to ensure that line upgrades were achieved.

Surface Transport

Expenditure on professional and consultancy fees at £40.8m was £10.0m above budget as a result of the additional requirements for IT and engineering consultancy services particularly for the Tour De France (£2m), Traffic control infrastructure (£2m), TLRN cycling (£3m), Road network management support (£2m) and Road network scheme design (£2m).

London Rail

Expenditure on professional and consultancy fees at £28.9m was £7.0m above budget as a result of the acceleration of the Stratford International Station project as well as legal and corporate finance consultant costs for the refranchise of the North London Railway (NLR). The budget for the letting of the NLR concession assumed that there would be a separate East London Line (ELL) concession, however, during the year it was agreed to include the operation of the NLR and ELL under a single concession agreement.

Corporate

Expenditure on professional and consultancy fees at £60.6m was £13.6m above budget as a result of additional expenditure on the Business Improvement Programme - primarily new projects to enhance the functionality and efficiencies delivered by the SAP system.

Anonymous Beneficiaries

City Hall largesse has been spread far and wide over the last eight years. The Mayor is sometimes reluctant to tell us who has benefited.

Brian Coleman: Will the Mayor of London list the financial donations made by the Mayor of London for the organisation of the London Peace Reception on Wednesday 5th December, the costs the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and the Stop the War Coalition are paying towards the London Peace Reception and will the Mayor of London publish the guest list to the London Peace Reception?

Ken Livingstone: The estimated £5,500 cost for the London Peace Reception is being met from existing GLA budgets held in the international team. Publication of the guest list would breach data protection principles.

Data protection - useful on so many occasions...

George Galloway is Contemptible

After a long absence on 'infighting leave', Galloway makes an appearance in the Guardian's Comment is Free, telling us why we should support Livingstone. It's all a bit like throwing a drowning man a lead belt, but his diatribe does contain the following:

It seems clear that he (Livingstone) treats the Greater London Assembly with contempt. But that is surely not helped by the fact that most of the members of the GLA are contemptible.

Which, coming from a supporter of Saddam Hussain, feels like high praise indeed.

What have we done to earn George's contempt? Not enough cat impression, perhaps? No appearances on Big Brother? Or maybe we haven't been saluting the indefatigability of tin pot dictators...

Galloway is standing for the London Assembly (it's not even called the GLA, George), so we can look forward to his ill informed comments during the campaign and possibly his tedious company for the next four years. He tells us he will put the Mayor under real pressure...

Yeah, right.

From Venezuela With Love

With the budget under discussion next week, a look at the publicity around the controversial Venezuela deal seems timely:

Roger Evans: How much was the total cost - including design, printing, distribution, and the cost of advertising space - of the Transport for London posters advertising cheap petrol for buses, which includes the branding of the republic of Venezuela?

Ken Livingstone: Promotion of the scheme has used mainly 'broadcast' advertising such as posters, magazines and radio, together with the distribution of literature and 'face to face' activity. Costs incurred to date including media placement and production total £1.1m.

By 'broadcast' I assume he includes this:

Sally Hamwee: A double decker bus running down Kilburn High Road recently had an advert along its side advertising tourist visits to Venezuela. Which organization commissioned this advert and did they pay standard TfL fees for the advertising space?

Ken Livingstone: TfL 'wrapped' two buses as part of the promotion of the discounted fares scheme. The promotional budget for the discounted fares scheme forms part of the administration costs, which are costs payable by Petroleus de Venezuela Europa (PDVE) under the agreement.

If Not Ken, Then Who?

setting aside the wild accusations that Livingstone's current critics are 'neo cons', or even in the pay of Mossad, it is a fact that much of the clamour of discontent is coming from people on the left. Several blog posters have even voiced the unthinkable - who would be the ideal Labour candidate, if they dispensed with Livingstone's services.

So who should they be running? Some of their people drop by here every now and then, so I'm sure some advice would be appreciated - better still, they could tell us themselves.

A Very Short Press Release

Visitors to the http://www.london.gov.uk/ will have become accustomed to lengthy press statements, usually running to two or more pages, worthy texts on climate change, rambling rebuttals of Evening Standard stories - so the latest release is unusually brief:

The BBC last week asked the GLA whether Rosemary Emodi had visited Kamp Africa, a holiday resort in Nigeria. She was therefore formally asked by the GLA whether this was true. She stated that this was untrue and that she had never visited Kamp Africa. The GLA informed the BBC of this. It has now become clear that the formal statement made by Rosemary Emodi was untrue. She has resigned with immediate effect. There is no suggestion any GLA funds were used for this trip. However all GLA staff are required to honestly answer questions put to them.

Further details of this story are available at http://www.bbc.com/ .

Dispatches Alert

I know where I will be at 8:00pm this evening. The much trailled Channel 4 'Dispatches' investigation into the Mayor's office will be on show, and well worth a look no doubt.

Over the weekend allegations that the Mayor was drinking heavily at the Ilford 'Peoples' Question Time' event surfaced. I spent the evening chairing the proceedings and, to be fair, he didn't seem any the worse for wear. Indeed he was much the same as usual, long on rhetoric and short on answers...

The Mayor's office have released a statement claiming that Dispatches is discredited following its film challenging climate change doctrine last year. So now questioning the Mayor is equal to questioning 'end of the world' theories...

Trouble on the 174

Following on from the bus crime league table, the Romford Recorder gives the 174 a mention this morning. Whilst not in the top 10, the 174 which runs between Harold Hill and Dagenham is in the 40 worst routes, along with the 247, Barkingside to Romford service. Problems are reported to include knife attacks, egg throwing, verbal abuse and general rowdiness.

The 174 has also been under performing against its timetable, between Romford and Harold Hill. Councillors and Angela Watkinson MP, have raised complaints about this and London Buses tell me that the service is failing to meet targets. The reason is thought to be congestion in Romford town centre, but TfL have agreed to investigate and bring about an improvement.

Transport Committee Alert

The Transport Committee meets on Thursday morning, fresh from publication of the high profile Crime and Anti Social Behaviour on London's Buses report. We can expect some complaints from Labour members who have had their strings well and truly tugged by Livingstone over this.

On Thursday we will be covering two important subjects:

Roadworks, which seem particularly prevalent at the moment. How can we minimise disruption? How can the utilities be persuaded to plan together and to reduce the time they spend on site? What happened to the government's charging for time trials in Camden and Middlesbrough a few years ago?

And the old favourite, Articulated Buses. Back in October figures revealed a high number of accidents on these vehicles and concerns were aired at a public meeting in Ilford, at which the Mayor said he thought the Transport Committee should investigate. We are happy to oblige and will be considering the statistics.

Bus Crime League Table

TfL have produced a list of the bus routes with the most 'driver incident reports'. They are, from 1 to 10:

38 Clapton Pond - Victoria, new to the top position, up from number 4 last year. Hang onto your bags!

25 Oxford Circus - Ilford High Road, the old faithful slips back from its number one position over the last three years. The committee watched ticket inspectors and police at work on this articulated bus and it was clear that paying your fare was seen as optional by many passengers.

29 Wood Green Station - Trafalgar Square, down from number two last year.

73 Seven Sisters - Victoria, up from number six last year.

51 Orpington - Woolwich, a newcomer straight in at number five this year, and the only one of the top ten running entirely south of the river

149 Edmonton Green - London Bridge, down a place from number five last year, a bendy bus with pickpocketing problems.

18 Sudbury - Euston, holding its position at number seven, another articulated vehicle.

5 Canning Town - Romford, double decker new on the list at number eight, locals have complained about anti social behaviour.

8 Bow - Victoria, much improved from the number three position last year, buses have CCTV and a screen which shows the passengers what the cameras can see.

176 Oxford Circus - Penge, slips back from number nine, the only route in the top ten which crosses the river.

Everyone Agrees That Crime and Anti Social Behaviour are a Problem for Bus Passengers

Except for the Mayor...

This morning sees the launch of a cross party report from the transport committee which focuses on bus crime. Avid bus users will know that the committee has taken evidence from groups representing passengers, transport providers and police. Some of the most damning evidence came from bus drivers who find themselves in the front line of the battle against youth disorder. We also carried out two visits to observe policing on the buses in Bromley and in Stratford.

Two years ago, crime rose sharply and the slight decline over the last year has done little to compensate. This coincided with the start of Livingstone's free travel schemes for under 16s and under 18s, a fact that is dismissed as coincidence by his Labour colleagues.

The committee makes a number of constructive suggestions, including:

Use of live CCTV in situations where the driver has sounded the alarm. This would enable a faster and more effective response.

Considering more powers for revenue protection staff and PCSOs, to make life harder for criminals.

Better training for drivers who have to deal with some threatening situations.

We hoped that the mayor would accept these in the same constructive spirit, but this morning his Labour acolytes were criticising the report and claiming there is no problem - obviously they don't use the buses.

Meanwhile it is good to see that Boris Johnson has supported measures to trial live CCTV.

Gang Murders a Key Issue in May Election

Today the Boris for Mayor campaign comes out fighting with this advert in the Evening Standard. The murder of 27 teenagers last year is a tragedy, but with two more murders already in the first week of 2008, the death rate is increasing, in line with the growth in violent crime.

Boris proposes the wider use of hand held detectors so that police can find knives and guns without the time and bureaucracy required for a physical search. He is also in favour of trialling live CCTV monitoring on board buses, which are viewed as a no go area by some people, following the introduction of free travel for under 18s.

But it's not all about catching criminals. Boris sees a role for community volunteers who do so much good work to keep young people occupied and entertained - without resorting to crime. Some of the current funding for questionable projects could be diverted to support positive activities for young people.

More Problems at the LDA

This time it's the building:

Peter Hulme Cross: Please can the Mayor update me on progress with the faulty wind turbines removed from the LDA head office roof?

Ken Livingstone: The wind turbines were removed due to a product recall. The LDA is pursuing the installation of replacement wind turbines following the re-engineering of the software that controls the wind turbines as soon as possible.

New Year - Same Old Londoner

The January edition of the 'award winning' Londoner has hit the streets. Amongst this month's highlights:

p1 Tackling London's Housing Shortage, fifty thousand new affordable homes for London over the next three years

p2 Single fares frozen this year

p4 £161 million for local transport

p5 Londoners on income support can get half price bus fares

p6 New police teams are tackling crime on buses in London

p7 Strategy to improve training in the capital

p8 Save up to £300 a year by saving energy

p9 Your views about eating and drinking on the Tube (bizarre survey shows that 27% of Londoners want eating sweets banned on the underground)

p10 More new low cost homes for London

p12 Win a place in the London Marathon

p14 Letters to Ken - How are you going to make London greener; India trip will boost jobs in London

Advertising for TfL on three full pages supports this edition, as usual. There are also adverts for Climate Change (?), the Russian Winter Festival, and the LDA's childcare affordability programme.

One Great Shambles

This was a dreadful first day back for commuters from East London and Essex. The Christmas closure of Liverpool Street Station 'overran' this morning and passengers were being told that services would only run all the way into town after 9:00 am.

My early train was more crowded than usual because a number of other trains were cancelled. At least it ran quickly on an otherwise empty line, terminating at Stratford, with a conveniently empty Central Line train standing adjacent. Everyone raced across the platform in the dark and crammed in, only to find the train setting off Eastward. Yes, the One Great Eastern train had terminated on the Eastbound platform and nobody had thought to warn the commuters who were now going the wrong way!

At Leyton, the next station on the Central Line, it was virtually everyone out and across the footbridge to the Westbound platform. London Underground staff looked on in bemusement as we packed up four deep. The next train was jammed and we returned to Stratford like sardines, only for even more people to squeeze on. All this took place just after 7:00 am, so Lord knows what it was like when the rush hour really kicked in. I was surprised by how good natured the crowds were, or perhaps they were too tired to protest.

And at 9:00 am the promised service did not resume. Perhaps we can expect more of the same tomorrow.

This incident highlights two of the problems that repeatedly bedevil our rail network above and below ground:

Project Management: They so often overrun. Rail engineers need to improve their ability to predict disruption and to ensure that timetables are adhered to. The impression all too often given by engineering professionals is that passengers are an obstacle to running the service rather than the reason it exists in the first place.

Information: Nobody saw fit to tell passengers what was happening. There was no guidance at Stratford, which I understand was closed because of overcrowding later in the morning. There was no warning at Liverpool Street underground station to tell people that the main line platforms were still closed when I returned home in the afternoon - resulting in an optimistic but fruitless trek up the escalator and back down again.

Hope that 'One Great Eastern' sort their act out overnight - and now we hear there is snow on the way...

Collier Row Action Day

New Year started with an action day in Romford, delivering around 2,000 leaflets to homes in Collier Row and Chase Cross. We got a positive reception and hope for a good level of responses to our survey on page two of the double spread newsletter. Romford Conservatives are looking forward to the London campaign and the opportunity to remove Labour's Mayor from City Hall.

Hylands Ward Christmas Dinner

We had a post Christmas dinner for Hylands Ward at the Harrow Lodge indoor bowls club, on Saturday night. Despite the difficult date 77 people attended and the venue was excellent. Hylands Ward will be part of the Romford constituency at the next general election, following the latest round of boundary changes.

The picture shows Hornchurch MP James Brokenshire, Leader Of Havering Cllr Michael White, myself, and Romford MP Andrew Rosindell. In the front row are Paul and Sharon Clifford who organised an excellent evening.

Resolutions

I'm back from my Christmas week with the family in Yorkshire. This was a good year and I got to see many of my relatives and their friends, including my nephew Joe, who is learning to talk. Next time I see him I will probably be able to hold a full blown conversation.

Now my attention is turning to those New Year resolutions. Scientific research has shown that men are more likely to keep them if they set themselves targets, so resolutions need to be quantifiable. I guess mine will be along the lines of:

Losing weight / getting fit
Getting re-elected in May
Writing and publishing a sequel to my novel, Gremal Quest
Saving more money and spending less
Visiting my cousin in Cornwall
Going abroad on holiday in the Summer

Any other suggestions would be welcome. I would also be interested to know what my readers' resolutions will be for 2008.

Merry Christmas

To all my readers. this Christmas tree is at Havering town hall and is one of the best on the patch. Thank you for sticking with me through another year.

Cop Out

The Mayor has found a new way to avoid answering questions:

Graham Tope: How much has the MPS spent on hire cars in each financial year since 2000/01 to date? What additional costs have been incurred in each of these years for failure to return vehicles in time, damages and any other penalties?

Ken Livingstone: Your question does not directly relate to the exercise of Mayoral statutory functions. In accordance with my letter to the Chair of the Assembly of 5 December 2007, I therefore suggest that you refer your question to the relevant authority or agency.

This standard response is given to a number of written questions, however the MPS budget is the single largest component of Livingstone's precept. It is set by the Mayor and he spends a lot of time boasting about falling crime rates and new initiatives, so it is surprising that he classes it as 'not directly related to the exercise of Mayoral functions'.

There will be more question ducking as the election approaches.

Golden Buses

My latest question about the new generation of hydrogen buses shows more money splashed around carelessly:

Roger Evans: What is the unit cost of each bus?

Ken Livingstone: TfL is procuring 10 vehicles at a cost of £9.65m, the bulk of which is made up of capital cost of the vehicles. However since the contract also includes procurement and maintenance costs and fuel cell replacement during the first five years of operation, it is not possible to provide an exact cost per bus.

Unlike the bendy buses, they won't be calling these the 'free buses'.

Under 18 Bus Passes

The latest costs for the controversial scheme are revealed in a reply from November's Question Time:

Richard Barnes: What is the latest lost revenue estimate for both the under 18 and under 16 free bus pass scheme.

Ken Livingstone: I replied to Andrew Pelling a few months ago that free bus travel for the under 16s was estimated to have reduced fares revenue by around £35m p.a. and free bus travel for 16/17s by £20m p.a. The estimated revenue reduction remains in line with these figures.

So that is a total cost of £55m.

The Long Walk Home

Yesterday morning Chris Wilson from the Redbridge Pensioners' Forum took me to see the subway under the A12 near his home. This one is at the top of Somerville Road and it looks pretty uninviting. I'm going to try to get TfL to clean it up and improve security, because Chris and other older people have to use it to get to the Post Office on the North side of the A12, since their local office was closed.

It astounds me that the Peoples' Post Office went ahead with this closure after being shown the subway that their customers would have to use. Recently the Taxpayers' Alliance published their public sector rich list, which highlighted Post Office chief executive Adam Crozier as the highest paid public sector employee in the country, earning well over £1 million per annum, and making TfL look like a stingy employer.

I wonder if Mr Crozier would care to collect a months pay in cash then walk home through here on a dark November afternoon...

The Auditors go in

Yesterday the Assembly voted to advise the Mayor to call the auditors in for a full investigation of the recent grants controversy. Let's see if he takes our advice...

Meanwhile there was another auditor's report on the agenda. Who remembers Bob Kiley and his consultancy contract? It was a short report but it made some sound points:

the nature of the services provided by Mr Kiley has been such that there is no written documentation available to demonstrate that value for money has been received. TfL has not requested written reports from Mr Kiley, rather advice has been taken in meetings between the Mayor and the Commissioner and Mr Kiley. The consultancy agreement requires Mr Kiley to provide details of days spent performing the services to TfL. TfL has not to date requested such details from Mr Kiley or put in place any other monitoring arrangements. Whilst we understand that the consultancy was set up on a retainer basis, the absence of a documented monitoring process is, in our view, a weakness.

There's a familiar theme here...

And on the subject of the agreement itself:

We also note that the terms of TfL's remuneration committee have since been amended so that the remuneration committee is now required to agree to the terms of any compromise agreements with senior officers. However, the Chair of TfL is also the Chair of the remuneration committee. This, in our view, is an unusual situation. The Combined Code on Corporate Governance (which applies to listed companies) states that the members of the remuneration committee should be independent non executive directors.

TfL's response is that their Chair is unpaid, so that makes him independent...

And on the money paid:

from our discussions I understand that TfL does not intend to make payments to Mr Kiley while he is ill and not available to provide services to TfL. Specifically, if Mr Kiley submits an invoice for the payment due on the contract date of 1 July 2007 this will not be paid while Mr Kiley is unwell and not able to work. TfL should also consider whether any part of the payment made on 1 January 2007 for the six months commencing on that date should be allocated to future services provided, as Mr Kiley has not been available to provide advice since late March 2007.

TfL respond that it is 'not considered appropriate to seek reimbursement.'

So the curtain falls on another Labour scandal involving poor financial controls and waste of public money. Nothing more to see here - it's time to move on...

Question Time Alert

It's the monthly Mayor's Question Time tomorrow morning. I suspect that the matter of financial controls at the LDA will feature prominently, after the Mayor came out fighting at his press conference this morning. He has secured the support of several community figures - Sir Herman Ouseley, Richard Taylor, Rev Nims Obunge and Dawn Butler MP.

A motion for urgent debate has just been circulated by the Lib Dems:

In light of the articles in last week's Evening Standard, and the allegations levelled in those articles about some of the London Development Agency's processes and the role played by one of the Mayor's advisers, this Assembly calls on the Mayor to refer these allegations to the District Auditors of the GLA and the LDA and asks that the District Auditors investigate and report back their findings in as short a time frame as is possible.

Given the political balance, this or something quite like it is probably going to be approved. We will then see if the Mayor is willing to comply.

Costly Caracas

A recent question about the Mayor's obsession with Venezuela revealed the following:

Angie Bray: When will the GLA office in Caracas be open for business? Can the Mayor detail how many staff from the GLA family will be seconded there, and what will the annual running costs be?

Ken Livingstone: A 12 month lease was completed on an office in Caracas at the end of July. It is currently being set up.

No staff from the GLA will be seconded there.

Running costs for 12 months are estimated to be £77,200.

So an office was leased in July but is still not in use...

There may be no GLA staff on site, but two locals will be employed at the office and they are being recruited.

Friday Night in Romford

It's getting very festive in Romford town centre. Tonight I was out meeting the street pastors who do a vital job looking out for people in what can be a hostile and intimidating situation. Safety has improved greatly in recent years with the introduction of live CCTV and close working between police and nightclub security staff.

Here we are outside the newly opened Liquid Nightclub in South Street. Standing at the back is General Manager, Colin Goodwin. In the yellow jacket is hard working Romford MP, Andrew Rosindell. I'm the one in the unusual but fashionable headgear.

Now I'm back at home, but outside the party has just started!

West London Waste

The West London Tram is dead, killed by the determined opposition of local residents and their councillors - but the cost lingers on...

Roger Evans: Can the Mayor confirm how much money was spent on the West London Tram?

Ken Livingstone: The expenditure to mid October 2007 was in the order of £34.8 million. This was necessary to meet the level of detail required for a Transport and Works Act application. The money funded work including engineering, transport modelling, consultations, legal advice, scheme drawings and the Environmental Impact Assessment. Recent expenditure has focussed on closing down the project.

Much of the work already carried out by Transport for London on the tram project will assist in the planning of any new public transport solution for local journeys in west London.

Is that the sound of 'bendies' approaching?

Boris Demands Answers

Today's Standard carried a number of disturbing allegations about grant funding in Livingstone's administration. Local television is picking the story up and running with it. Boris has issued the following statement:

If these reports are true, huge sums of money have not been getting through to community groups who need and deserve support. That is a scandal.

There will be volunteers across London who will be appalled to learn that all this money has been wasted or simply trousered - when it could have been used to give life changing opportunities to kids across the city.

We need to know urgently what the Mayor knew and when and what action he proposes to take. Londoners are paying more and more for the current Labour Mayor - and yet he seems determined to treat the taxpayer with contempt.

Today I have written to the Mayor to demand answers on this issue. I am still waiting for the Mayor to explain what he knew about the serious allegations of fraud in the Metropolitan Police expense accounts.

Livingstone's in tray is filling up...

To be fair, the Mayor's response to the Standard story is here:

www.london.gov.uk/view_press_release.jsp?releaseid=14798

Full to Bursting

Yesterday, Boris joked that desks were being sawn in half at City Hall to create space for all the bureaucrats. A humourous exaggeration perhaps, but based on reality, as the following exchange shows:

Richard Barnes: Further to your answer to 2381/2007, rather than a minimum estimate based on desk numbers and people, how many people in City Hall actually hot desk?

Ken Livingstone: As was previously stated in question 2381/2007 City Hall currently has 691 desks which accommodate 732 people of all categories, this excludes staff such as security and mail room who do not need a desk to perform their duties. By virtue of these numbers, this means that at least 41 staff share desks, which is equivalent to 5.6%.

We do not currently hold data on the precise number of staff who actually hot desk; this information will only be known to the individual teams. However, as part of the accommodation strategy review process we are seeking this information.

Lest we forget, City Hall was originally designed for a lean, strategic authority, with 400 employees.

May the Boris be With You

Boris Johnson hosted his Christmas party at the Star Wars exhibition last night. The next Mayor of London gave a rousing speech, urging supporters to prepare for government. Those attending went way beyond the party faithful and included leading journalists and figures from the London establishment.

I got to wield a light sabre but the picture is slightly blurred, perhaps the photographer was a bit nervous. Could do with keeping it to enforce the Assembly whip...

Go Boris - Use the Force!

Ongoing = Not Known

An interesting exchange about the Blackwall Tunnel maintenance works:

John Biggs: Thank you for your informative and thorough reply to my question 2348/2007. When ongoing maintenance works necessitate regular and routine closures, please could you ask TfL to display the end date of their works on the www/tfl.gov.uk/trafficnews website to "ongoing" which is more reassuring to motorists than "not known".

Ken Livingstone: TfL appreciates your feedback and has confirmed that its traffic news page is being updated so that the Blackwall Tunnel works are described as "ongoing".

So that's reassuring - Labour are such experts at the use of language...

Christmas at Havering Park

An excellent dinner last night to celebrate Christmas with Havering Park Ward. Featured in the picture are, from left to right; local activist Billy Taylor, guest speaker David Amess MP, Councillor Sandra Binion, myself, Andrew Rosindell MP,and Councillor Geoff Starns.

David Amess provided an entertaining speech, complete with ringing denunciation of the current government - which is not difficult. There were getting on for 80 guests, which is excellent for just one ward.

Transport Questions Alert

Wednesday morning will see the annual Assembly question time with Transport Commissioner, Peter Hendy. Subjects for discussion include the Metronet fiasco, fare rises, fare evasion and crime on the buses.

Two hours isn't really long enough to cover all the issues, but any suggestions of points to raise are welcome...

TfL's Press Office Costs

Roger Evans: Can the Mayor provide a year by year breakdown from 2000 to date of the total cost of TfL's press officers?

Ken Livingstone:

2003/04 £858,990

2004/05 £1,695,430

2005/06 £1,904,069

2006/07 £2,270,672

2007/08 £2,491,226

In mid 2004 TfL took over responsibility for London Underground, which probably explains the doubling of the budget. However things seem to have got out of hand since then with a further increase of just under £800K in four years.

New Fire Station for Havering

The good news is that it finally looks like the new fire station for Havering will go ahead.

In May 2000 there were plans to withdraw a fire engine from Hornchurch and local residents organised strong protests. The various mayoral candidates visited and pledged to reverse the decision. The eventual winner broke his promise and the fire engine was withdrawn, along with half a dozen others in outer London boroughs.

Some months later the space at Hornchurch was filled by a specialist vehicle designed to attend road accidents. This proved very useful on the A12, A127 and A13.

When the new fire safety plan and model were adopted in 2005, the decision was taken to return the fire engines to the outer London boroughs, but the Hornchurch engine could not be accommodated, as its space was taken. This left Havering with the slowest fire attendance times in London. As a Fire Authority member I have been pushing for the return of our engine ever since.

In 2006 the brigade decided that the only solution was to build a new fire station to provide the necessary bays. This would also provide the opportunity to site the facility closer to the main routes at Gallows Corner. The decision has now been taken to use part of the Falcon Business Centre, which also houses a police facility, allowing for better coordination of emergency services.

Val Shawcross, the Fire Authority Chair, has joked that the new facility should be named the Roger Evans Memorial Fire Station - I just hope it won't take that long to build!

The Nanny State

Some politicians can't stop interfering:

Jenny Jones: Would you support a ban on the sale of fois gras in London?

Ken Livingstone: I have no powers to ban foie gras or any other food.

And a good thing too! I have never eaten fois gras or hunted foxes and I don't smoke, but I support the rights of those who do...

Jennettte Arnold: What action would the Mayor propose taking to ensure that the law protects all bus users from the harmful effects of second hand smoke while waiting at stops?

Ken Livingstone: As you are aware the recent legislation applies only to structures that are more than 50% enclosed and is applied to all bus stations in London, and also the 660 bus stops fitted with shelters that meet the criteria. The law is enforced by officials from the London boroughs.

Better carry a tape measure to check that shelters meet the criteria before lighting up, or indeed before complaining about someone else lighting up. It may be good for public health, it will certainly be good for the lawyers...

Politics Show After Action Report

The debate on theatres was tame compared to what followed. We all agreed that something needed to be done to bring our venues up to date. I stumbled when the interviewer suggested that some of the theatres should be allowed to close if they can't pay their way - my free market instincts agree, but I love our city and can't bear to see us lose good things. I also argued in favour of subsidising the Queen's Theatre in Hornchurch earlier this year, so I wanted to be consistent. Perhaps I'm mellowing with age...

Then there was a discussion about the Mayor's £750k trip to India, which featured some trenchant condemnation from Brian Coleman. Livingstone claims that they will get the money back if it creates just 6 jobs, which sounds like more dodgy maths. At over £100k per job the lucky recipients will be able to afford plenty of his 53p travelcards.

They wound up with a discussion about the Metropolitan Police Authority, featuring deputy chair Cindy Butts. Cindy passionately argued that the MPA's support for embattled police commissioner, Sir Ian Blair, demonstrates their political independence. As all but one of the non elected members voted in favour of the commissioner, I suggest it proves the opposite.

Politics Show Alert

You can see me on the Politics Show (London edition) tomorrow, talking about theatres of all things. The Assembly is doing a review of the condition of London theatres - which in many cases are outdated and tired - and possible ways to invest in our capital's attractions. A £1 levy on all theatre tickets is just one of the ideas under consideration...

East Thurrock & South Basildon Dinner

On Friday night I attended the fund raising dinner for mt good friend Steve Metcalfe, the candidate for East Thurrock & South Basildon, a seat which we should pick up at the next election.

Guest speaker was Iain Duncan Smith, who talked about his social policy work. I have known Iain since he was selected for Chingford in 1991 and I think he is more at ease than I have ever seen him. He clearly cares passionately about helping the communities he has met in the most deprived areas and he articulates his vision convincingly.

In the auction I bought two bottles of 'Gordon Brown Ale - Zero Strength' for £200, which in hindsight seems a lot - still, the money is going to a good cause, which is more than can be said for my end of year tax demand...

Talking of which, on the way there the taxi driver was telling me how worried he was about the security of his personal details, now that the government have mislaid them. When people without an interest in politics express such concerns, you know it is bad news for those in power. Several years ago I went to a pantomime which was full of jokes about David Blunkett - it was obvious the minister was doomed, and this feels the same.

December Londoner

The Christmas / Winterval edition of the Londoner wings its way to the capital's doormats. Highlights to look out for include:

Single Fare Price Freeze - Front page
Great 2 for 1 theatre and food offers with Oyster - pg2
Free travel for Londoners on New Year's Eve - pg3
Crime in London down to lowest in ten years -pg5
London's fares freeze - pg5
Bus passes made easy - pg5
New police teams 'are making London's buses and trains safer' - pg6&7
Make sure you get home safely during Christmas party season, Met says - pg9
Car free shopping is back - pg19

The usual TfL advertising takes up full pages at 4, 16 and 20. The Mayor's London Schools and the Black Child conference is advertised on pg6. The recycling campaign is advertised on pg12.

For the first time there is a special London assembly feature at the bottom of pg8.

And on pg9 there is the opportunity to win a two week cruise around the Indian Ocean. You just need to answer the question - In which Indian region is the city of Cochin? So you can follow in the Mayor's recent footsteps, but you won't be allowed to take 80 people with you...

Disorder on the Buses

Tomorrow the Transport Committee will be taking evidence from the police, London Buses and a bus operator.

This follows on from our meeting last month where passenger groups raised a number of concerns, and from our visit to observe enforcement at first hand in Stratford last week. I contributed an article about this to Conservative Home on Friday and you can read it at: www.Conservativehome.blogs.com/parliament/2007/11/roger-evans-am.html .

Livingstonomics

So how can the lowest price be 80p but the average be 53p?

Was it because fare evaders were included - as suggested by Weggis and Andrew Gilligan? No...

Was it because free travel was included as suspected by me in the last post? No...

The Mayor has explained, very swiftly, by press release! The full text is here:

www.London.gov.uk/view_press_release.jsp?releaseid=14532

Amidst the hyperbole, the key paragraph tells us:

The reason the average is lower than the cheapest single fare is that many people travel using period tickets such as Travelcards or weekly bus passes. In these cases the cost per journey is less as the passenger makes more trips. For example the average number of trips per week on a weekly bus pass is 28.25. For a cost of £13 this is 46p.

Well, yes. What if the average number of trips rises? The average cost per trip then falls, but can the Mayor use the new lower figure to claim that he has cut fares? Because that is how the average figure has been used.

Can a passenger who only uses the card 10 times a week get a rebate????

To illustrate the way this works:

Example 1: Mayor Truthful promises to freeze fares for a year and does so. However an economic downturn reduces the number of journeys made on public transport. The average fare per journey goes up and Mayor Truthful decides not to press release it - because it will mislead people.

Example 2: Mayor Untruthful promises to pin fares to inflation but after the election he breaks his promise and imposes inflation busting increases over three years, only desisting as the next election looms. Over the same period the number of journeys increases as London is doing well. The average fare per journey therefore falls and Mayor Untruthful decides to press release it - because it will mislead people.

Neither of these examples is intended to resemble any living person - however for an official view of the truthfulness of TfL advertising, see the following from the Advertising Standards Agency:

www.asa.org.uk/asa/adjudications/public/TF_ADJ_43472.htm

Bus Fare Calculations

An interesting exchange at yesterday's Mayor's Questions.

Me: Following the latest increases, what is the cheapest ticket you can buy?

The Mayor: 80p

Me: And what is the average bus fare?

The Mayor: 53p

Me: So the average fare is 27p less than the cheapest fare - that's a novel concept...

I suspect that TfL includes some of its free tickets in the calculation, which undermines the veracity of the figure, because it creates an 'average fare' which can't be paid by anyone. It certainly makes the result of fare increases look rosier than it actually is.

TfL will be coming to see me to explain how they arrive at this figure and what they use it for.

I've Been Awarded a Certificate

For completing the Capital Ring!

I didn't know that such a thing was available, but Gordon Clarke from TfL has been in touch after reading about my efforts on Barkingside21's blog. He also tells me that Walk London are organising a weekend of guided walks around the strategic network for 17 - 18 November. I prefer to walk on my own but for anyone who wishes to join a group, details are available at www.walklondon.org.uk .

This will be the first non academic certificate I have received since I passed my cycling proficiency test...

Public Sector Rich List

The Taxpayers' Alliance have published their own 'rich list' of public sector employees. With the help of Freedom of Information requests and annual reports they have pieced together the top earners in public bodies for 2006/07. London is an expensive city so no surprise that our public bodies feature in the top 100:

The Olympic Development Authority has three employees in the top 100 - Chief Executive, David Higgins, Director of Finance, Dennis Hone, and of course, Jack Lemley, the former Chairman who stood down halfway through the year.

Sister body, the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games, features twice with Chairman, Lord Coe and Chief Executive, Paul Deighton.

Transport for London has its own high earners, Commissioner, Peter Hendy, MD of London Underground, Tim O'Toole, MD of Surface Transport, David Brown, and General Counsel, Howard Carter.

And controversial Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Ian Blair is also in the top 100.

The National Health Service has many high earners but the only local manager in the top 100 is Norman Lindsay, Director of Turnaround at Whipps Cross University Hospital NHS Trust. Mr Lindsay ceased his employment at the end of the financial year. I have not met him, but I know Whipps Cross and I imagine it was a tough job.


The full list, including rankings and actual pay is available at www.taxpayersalliance.com .

Bendy Bus Investigation

Following the disclosure of worrying accident statistics at the recent public question time in Ilford, the transport committee will be reviewing the record of these controversial vehicles. Complaints about the buses include:

Safety - are they prone to more accidents?

Fare evasion - up to four times the level found on other buses.

Shortage of seats - good news for buggies and wheelchairs but bad news for older passengers and pregnant women.

Unsuitability for narrow, crowded streets - particularly in the centre of town.

Ilford North MP Lee Scott has welcomed the review, saying 'These numbers are at an unacceptable level and are not to be tolerated. I want to see a far bigger analysis as some roads simply cannot cope with them.'

I hope that passengers and bus drivers will let us have their views on the buses. Contact me at roger.evans@london.gov.uk .

The full story is carried by the Ilford Recorder, www.ilfordrecorder.co.uk .

Commissioner Faces Assembly

Tomorrow morning the Assembly will be questioning Sir Ian Blair, the Met Police Commissioner. It looks like being a lively session which will probably make the headlines in the evening.

we are also questioning the new Fire Brigade Commissioner, Ron Dobson, for the first time. I expect he will get a comparatively easy ride...

Radio Alert - Link FM

Tomorrow morning I'm the guest on our very own community radio station, Link FM. Appearing from 10:00 am, I will be talking about the London Assembly, transport in London, my role at Havering Council and, of course my newly published novel, Gremalquest.

Last time I was on Link we got into a discussion about my own broadcasting efforts on Radio Skerne, twenty years ago. This was the Darlington hospital radio which transmitted late in the evenings from a room in the basement next to the morgue. Keeping up a cheerful patter for a couple of hours all on your own, with a room full of corpses to walk through, was quite a challenge.

You can enjoy Link FM on line at www.linkfm.net .

Any Suggestions?

There is a competition running at City Hall this week - the task is to choose a title for the Mayor's next Olympics publication.

The document is due to be published in early November and will set out the five commitments the Mayor is making in relation to the 2012 games.

Any suggestions?

'Award Winning' Londoner to go Cross Party

Well, one page anyway. Today the GLA Business Management & Appointments Committee (BMAC) approved proposals to give over one page of the Londoner each month to Assembly stories. The report states:

The London Assembly will contribute a regular column for page 8 of The Londoner. The column would be a maximum of 420 words, or 350 plus a picture, either vertically aligned on the left side of the page or horizontally across the bottom of the page. There would be no charge to the Assembly for the column.

So we know which page everyone will turn to in future...

Cycle Lane Consultation A127 to M25

TfL and Havering Council have revealed plans for a dedicated cycle route which will follow the Southend Arterial Road (A127) from Gallows Corner to junction 29 on the M25. this will form part of the London Cycle Network.

They are consulting on this proposal until 16th November, responses please to www.tfl.gov.uk/cycles or leave a comment on this thread.

Security on Transport

Tomorrow our Transport Committee launches its review of security on London's public transport. In particular we will be considering the buses - following the Mayor's introduction of free travel for under 18s - and also the major interchanges, for example the bus and train stations at Stratford.

Are police on buses effective?

How about the CCTV?

Would you like to see conductors brought back?

Do you feel safe on our trains and buses?

We are interested in your views and experiences, so please email me at Roger.Evans@London.gov.uk or write to me at City Hall, The Queens Walk, LONDON, SE1 2AA.

Peoples' Question Time

The big moment arrived last night. Nearly six hundred people crammed into Ilford Town Hall to raise local issues with the Mayor and assembly Members. It was a lively and good natured meeting with several public votes taking place. These snapshots showed:

66% of the audience felt no safer on the streets despite a visible increase in police numbers.

75% were opposed to congestion charging in Ilford.

75% felt that Redbridge didn't need any more housing.

66% were still pleased we were hosting the 2012 Olympics. Although there was a lot of dissatisfaction about the spiralling budget.

Those are rough figures and the audience was self selecting, so perhaps not representative of the wider electorate.

Serious reservations were raised about bendy buses following the tragic accident that occurred recently in Ilford.

Users of the Eastway Cycle Circuit turned up to demand a venue closer than the one they have to use at Hillingdon whilst the Olympic Velodrome is being constructed.

There were a large number of younger people in the crowd, which is encouraging. One girl was upset that she got fined when she left her Oystercard at home, but there wasn't much sympathy, perhaps because the same rule applies to everyone - it's called responsibility so get used to it...

And my newly selected Labour opponent was there. I made a point of congratulating her on being chosen. Her reply - Who are you? - was either the best put down in history or reveals a steep learning curve.

The next PQT is in six months time at Richmond Theatre.

Petition Presented

Following on from the Mayor's refusal to reinstate the footbridge over the A12 at Mawney Road, I presented a petition from local residents at the Assembly plenary meeting today. Four of the lead petitioners turned up to make their point:

They don't want a crossing at road level which will force pedestrians to race the lights - the other main junctions on the A12 all have either bridges or subways.

The original bridge (removed by TfL) had wheelchair ramps - a fact seemingly lost on TfL who claim that there is no space for a bridge with ramps to be built...

Have ramps got longer in the last two years?

Final Call for PQT

A last reminder that Peoples' Question Time is taking place at Ilford Town Hall on Thursday night. Come along and question Mayor Livingstone and other Assembly Members about their plans for our area. Tickets are going fast but there is still time to grab a place - just click on the top link on the right...

See you there...

Transport Select Committee Investigates PPP

In what I think is a first for the London Assembly, I will be giving evidence before the Transport Select Committee tomorrow.

The committee are investigating the circumstances around the collapse of Metronet and they will also be taking evidence from the PPP arbiter, the tube unions and the other PPP company, Tubelines.

The whole episode will be available to enjoy on the Parliamentary Channel.

Redbridge Pensioners' Forum

I've just got in from a meeting with the Forum, answering questions about transport issues. There were 76 people there - a fantastic turnout. The main issues were:

Bendy buses - very unpopular, because of fare evasion, accidents etc.

Under 18s Free Travel - also unpopular, because of anti social behaviour, the buses seen as no go areas when the schools finish.

Bad Driving - still a problem and the wheelchair ramps aren't being used.

Passenger Behaviour - need to get passengers to be more considerate, take feet off seats, give up seats for older people, fold buggies, take litter home.

Freedom Pass - cross party support for keeping it, despite the Mayor issuing scare stories about a mythical threat.

I have also agreed to visit Havering Gardens to see the issues around the extended 499 bus route.

Ilford South Supper Club

I was the guest speaker at the Ilford South Conservatives' supper club on Friday evening. this was my third visit to them so instead of telling them about London government - again - I spoke about 'a day in my life'. The speech provoked a lively discussion about the fate of bendy buses and the chances of Boris beating Ken...

I'm speaking at the Redbridge Pensioners' Forum on Monday.

You can book me to speak for a group by calling the office on 0207 983 4359 or emailing me at Roger.Evans@London.gov.uk .

Still Some Seats...

Available for Peoples' Question Time on 25th October at Ilford Town Hall. Come along and pose questions to the Mayor and Assembly Members.

Booking a place is easy - just click on the first of my links, down on the right.

The Olympic Newts Are Coming

According to the BBC:

A colony of endangered newts is being relocated for the 2012 Olympics, it has emerged. About £450 - the equivalent of renting a double room for a month in the area - will be spent on moving each newt to make way for a new circuit.

The great crested newts will be placed in a safe area within the new facility at Hog Hill, Redbridge, east London. The LDA had to ensure the newts' safety as the creatures are protected by law. The new circuit will replace the Eastway Cycle Circuit in Stratford, which will become the Olympic Velopark.

So now we know what Redbridge is getting from the games...

UPDATE: According to the BBC again (featured on www.barkingside21.blogspot.com ) the newts are already on site and are just being moved locally, so we will have to keep asking what Redbridge is getting...

New Links Added

I have added new links to Barkingside 21, The Greater London Authority, Havering and Redbridge Councils and of course, Boris Johnson's campaign site.

Wherever you are going, it is now a bit easier to get there...

Crossrail to go Ahead

I have issued the following statement as Transport Committee Chairman:

Crossrail is long overdue and will make a major contribution to strengthening London's position as the key financial centre of the 21st century. It will link up the four powerhouses of the City, Canary Wharf, the West End and Heathrow - and will improve the quality of life of Londoners and regenerate the capital. All parties must work together to ensure that the delivery of this vital project does not slip further.

Temporary Staff at City Hall

No doubt because of the high turnover rate, we also have a high spend on temporary staff:

Sally Hamwee: What was the total spend on temporary staff recruited through agencies in 2006/07 by the core GLA?

Ken Livingstone: The total spend on agency staff for the GLA in 2006/07 was £2 million.

There's a good chance that Boris could identify some savings here...

Back from Conference

A good few days in Blackpool with some rousing speeches. The party is in the mood for an election, but who can tell...

I took a trip on the tram to Fleetwood (the home of Fisherman's Friends), just to see if we could learn anything for London's transport. The system is good fun, but not really suitable for carrying loads of commuters - especially the open topped trams made to look like boats.

I stayed at the Norbreck Castle Hotel, which was friendly, but two miles from the conference centre at the Winter Gardens. I also discovered that the door to my room didn't lock, when a strange bespectacled man burst in at two in the morning. I'm not sure which of us was most surprised, but he apologised profusely and departed. The receptionist smiled nicely and told me that there is a special way to lock the door - keys work pretty well in other hotels...