I fucking love Ken Livingstone

[KeyboardJockey]

Fwiw, this was my favourite.

It has been a partial success in that traffic has been reduced but it hasn't fed back in to any larger successes. Too much money has been creamed off by Capita etc and small business has suffered.

To give you an example I used to regularily use a particular company (photofinishers) in Soho, I used to drop off my work go and grab a sarnie then drive back and pick it up and then on to my next job.

The congestion charge has is killing off small businesses becuase people now avoid sending people via the centre as it costs too much thereby affecting small businesses that depend on passing trade.

I've seen it so many times where well in tentioned policies like parking restrictions end up killing independent businesses because people go to Tesco because they can park.

I must admit that I've noticed a rise in homegeny in central london since the introduction of the CC but that may well be not only atributed to the congestion charge but other factors as well. But it can't be denied that the CC has been a negative factor.

 

[ViolentPanda]

Yes but at what cost? It wasn't coherent. If it had been brought in with a system of oyster cards for taxi's type scheme then the objections for the occasional London driver would have been met. Most of the money hasn't gone on improving London it has gone into the pockets of Capita etc.

1) The pre-payment for taxis thing has been "on the cards" for ages, but means TfL will have to subsidise new metering systems for Taxis.
2) You can't tell me that the parking restrictions in Westminster and Camden didn't already put people off. Okay, some shops will have lost "passing trade", but if you're paying West End rents, you usually aren't dependent on "passing trade" anyway.

There was much more he could have done.

Like what?
As it was he took it as far as he legally could, What did you expect him to do, break the law and run the risk of a snap election where Norris could have gotten in?

I'm glad we agree on something.

Private business will be the biggest beneficiary of the Olympics, private business in London should have had a one-off tax levied on it to raise at least some of the money that's otherwise coming out of the public purse.

Maybe you should go to B and D and see what is happening on the busses. I don't travel on the buses so much in my new area so I cant comment on north London.

I'd rather not go all the way to B & D to test your thesis, but on my own experience they're no worse than 10 years ago, and nowadays the drivers are a lot more willing to stop the bus and call the old bill than they used to be.

Congestion charge and the accompaning fake consultations.

Be fair, that's not authoritarianism (which would have been pushing it through irrespective of public opinion), it was old-fashioned politicking.

I disagree with that. Part of the responsibilities of the Mayor are to promote equality of opportunity. If a borough is flouting that for electoral reasons (the white majority parts of Newham were the ones who voted against Robin Wales) then he is perfectly entitled to speak out.

On the parking spaces, there seems (from a brief skim of the issue) to be a lot of accusations, but not much fact. Have you got a link that addresses the issue without ranting, so that I can get the full picture?
As for the batons issue, unfortunately there's nowt Livingstone can do as they're (unfortunately) a private security detail on private property, and until one of them twats someone and the matter goes to court, there's not much that anyone can do.
I wouldn't mind a few dozen of them being stuffed up Wales' arse sideways, though.

I certainly hope not. I don't want people like AQ to have even a sniff of power in the UK. We've fought long and hard for rights and freedoms why should we sit back and watch them being undermined by the followers of AQ.

You're missing my point, which is that engaging doesn't undermine rights, in fact it puts the GLA in the position of being able to rebut any claims of being anti-Islam, while not having offered al-Qardawi a single concession.

Might be gibberish from your pov but its what I'm being told and and what I'm seeing also I'm watching the affects on my own family of Livingstones poliices.

Actually the GLA's policies, given that any legislation he formulates has to be approved by the assembly.

 

[Maggot]

The congestion charge, badly thought out tax rather then a genuine way of bringing down traffic volume.

But it did bring down traffic volume. As VP says the parking restrictions in Central London were pretty serious before the Congestion Charge came in.

Hanging round with scum like AlQadawi

If he refused to meet people who's views he disagreed with, he'd be pretty ineffective.


He's coming on BBC London again this week (how many potential mayors would do that once a month?)

 

[fencingmatt]

Well done!

 

[untethered]

If he refused to meet people who's views he disagreed with, he'd be pretty ineffective.

He met Qaradawi as a consequence of City Hall hosting a meeting of the European Council for Fatwa and Research.

Rather generous behaviour towards someone who he disagrees with, wouldn't you say?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Council_for_Fatwa_and_Research

 

[ska invita]

going to do more damage to the fabric of East Londons communities than the fucking Luftwaffe did. .

I know a lot of people in Stratford and do business with people who currently work at Pudding Mill Lane - all of whom are very happy that the area is to get regenerated. From my experience the vast majority of those with a compulsary order on their heads are flying banners out there windows saying they are backing the games: go down there and you will see for yourself.

Patricularly knocking down Pudding Mill trading estate (where the main stadium complex will be) wont disrupt the fabric of East Londons communities one bit - there isnt even a caf in a portacabin round there (no exageration).

- It is of course a shame it has taken the Olympics to bring investment in the area, and fuck knows how we're going to find the extra money for the council tax when that hike comes - or what the final cost to us will be. However I remain in two minds about the Olympics - I'd rather the state blew some money on things like the Olympics once in a while rather than wars. I see the arguments for and against - but dont blame Ken for getting behind them.

 

[Maggot]

Ken is on BBC London tomorrow (Thurs) morn at 9.00 if anyone wants to ask him a question.

 

[Wolveryeti]

Ken is a legend in my eyes for the congestion charges and improving TFL alone.

As for those who criticise him for sitting down with terrorists, surely it's better to try and understand where they're coming from then put your head in the sand. A dinner with someone does not equate to supporting what they stand for.

 

[scifisam]

Good news! Withdrawing these classes as never a good idea.

I hope other places in England/the UK (if the whole of the UK is affected) can also get funding, though.

I think you use the term less than liberal views as a bit of a fucking understatement.

The fact that Livingstone can even think of sitting down with a wanker like Al-Qadawi and then a few months later spout plattitudes at a GLA LGBT event speaks volumes about the man.

If Livingstone had met the bloke then publicly repudiated AQ's bigoted views then it might have been more acceptable.

I think the way he marches at Pride and so on does publicly repudiate such views.

Much better would have been a high profile courting of the growing but scared for their lives band of progressive muslims.

I agree - but I don't know if he does that as well as meeting AQ.

As regards my 'luftwaffe' comment it applies equally to all the band of 'regenerators' that East London has been afflicted with. The Olympics site housed many small businesses that actually fucking made things rather than just provided burgers to passing punters. All these sustainable businesses were re located into areas that were not as convenient and for what? A two week wankfest for the rich and the polticians and their hangers on, more yuppie housing, more low grade jobs.

Ah, the Luftwaffe comment makes sense to me now. It's still hyperbole, but I agree - it is damaging to the local area right now. Long-term, I'm not sure, but I know that for the next five years lots of local sporting and community facilities will be gone.

The shithead pushed the idea that he was some sort of alternative when he plainly wasn't.

I don't he ever pretended that he wasn't Labour, really, even though te party didn't back him.

You have a catalogue of disasters from Livingstone for example:

The congestion charge, badly thought out tax rather then a genuine way of bringing down traffic volume.

I have noticed a big decrease in traffic and faster bus journey times. And hey, if it's a tax, it's a pretty fair way of taxing compared to other local taxes.

Going along with the govts privatisation scheme for LU.

I thought he opposed it, but was beaten?

The Olympics

Agreed on this one. But I think he genuinely thought he was doing the city good at the time.

Free travel for schoolchildren - anyone else noticed the rise is anti social behavour on busses since this policy.

That's a side effect, but one of the main effects has been much shorter queues at ticket offices (because children's tickets couldn't be bought from the machine) and a general simpler life. Schoolkids often had free bus-passes anyway, so I'm not sure if there really are that many more travelling short distances on buses.

Authoritarianism

Too vague an allegation.

Not speaking out against Robin Wales's racist politically motivated parking policies in Newham

Not jumping on Robin Wales's plan to give park wardens batons.

Sorry, don't know anything about these ones.

Hanging round with scum like AlQadawi

Addressed above.

Hmm, in consideration he's doing rather well for the city. Certainly far better than anyone else in his position would have done.

 

[Suffolk Punch]

Place not thy faith in technology

If you're going to pipe up with irrelevant guff, at least make the effort to check the claim first.

http://www.snopes.com/history/govern/trains.htm

That counts as proof in your world? It doesn't even cite an Italian text or a time table!

There are however these great things called BOOKS that contain real information not sad trivia web-sites that just endlessly repeat the same misinformation. Books tell us for example:

"The first benefit of Benito Mussolini's direction in Italy begins to be felt when one crosses the Italian Frontier and hears ' Il tremo arriva all'orario '.

Courts and Countries after the War (1925)

Look up the page reference, author and translate the Italian - I am not doing your homework for you. As to 'irrelevant guff' just remember computers, web-sites and techies are all useless in a power-cut.

To conclude:
Ken and Mussolini are neck and neck on the public transport issues.

Mussolini failed to host the Olympics as planned in 1944 due to a larger sporting fixture, perhaps Ken can best him yet.

 

[KeyboardJockey]

1) The pre-payment for taxis thing has been "on the cards" for ages, but means TfL will have to subsidise new metering systems for Taxis..

I can see how that would hold such a programme up being familiar with the disasterous way that the public sector commissions IT projects.

2) You can't tell me that the parking restrictions in Westminster and Camden didn't already put people off. Okay, some shops will have lost "passing trade", but if you're paying West End rents, you usually aren't dependent on "passing trade" anyway..

Agreed. But the congestion charge was the nail in the coffin for a lot of businesses as they ahve had to deal with greedy landlords and chains like Starbucks offering more money for sites.

Like what?.

He took it as far as he could without endangering his own position. There should really have been a London wide anti privatisation campaign plan but Ken had one eye on being tonys friend again.

As it was he took it as far as he legally could, What did you expect him to do, break the law and run the risk of a snap election where Norris could have gotten in?.

Not sure about Norris. Just how bad could he have been? Although I despise Norris I don't believe that he would have been any worse than Ken.

Private business will be the biggest beneficiary of the Olympics, private business in London should have had a one-off tax levied on it to raise at least some of the money that's otherwise coming out of the public purse..

Spot on.

I'd rather not go all the way to B & D to test your thesis, but on my own experience they're no worse than 10 years ago, and nowadays the drivers are a lot more willing to stop the bus and call the old bill than they used to be..

Personally I'd have liked to have seen the re introduction of conductors alongside the free school travel scheme to speed up the busses.

Be fair, that's not authoritarianism (which would have been pushing it through irrespective of public opinion), it was old-fashioned politicking..

I disagree there. It wasn 't just old fashioned politicking it was a fake consultation (like the olympics one) designed to get the result he required.

On the parking spaces, there seems (from a brief skim of the issue) to be a lot of accusations, but not much fact. Have you got a link that addresses the issue without ranting, so that I can get the full picture?
.

Unfortunately there isn't a link for this issue as its a situation on the ground that has been developing over the last few months. Basically what has happened is that areas like East Ham North and Upton Park have had parking restrictions imposed (and the council wonders why East Ham High Street has died) but these restrictions were brought about after a genuine consultation with residents. Now these areas regularily turn in NL drones and have benefited from Wales's misrule. The consultation took place over several months and from what I can gather were satisfactory to the residents. The parking restrictions in these areas are sensible, they deal with the issue of commuter parking and are enforced fairly. In areas like Beckton (which is majjority non asian) where my family reside there was zero consultation and the plans for the CPZ were just dropped through the letter box over the Xmas period and it was basically take it or leave it. Many people wrote to the council and to cunt wales to query both the way the 'consultation' had been managed and for equitability in parking restrictions with the wards north of the A13. This was emphatically refused by Newham Council and draconian parking restrictions were imposed which operate 24hours a day 7 days a week and were accompanied by an army of enforcement officers. Before the introduction of the CPZ residents again wrote to the council and Wales but were again rebuffed. In desparation the residents took direct action and used vehicles to block the roads leading to the area for a few hours. The result of this is that the people of Beckton now have to pay scandalous amounts of money for residents parking permits that they didn't want and peacefully campaigned against and have to put up with constant harrassment from rude parking control staff who are equiped with digital cameras to photograph the tyre valve position of vehicles to check if they havve moved or not.

Part of the conditions of the CPZ are that if you remonstrate or query with the enforcement officers in any way you will have your parking permits removed without appeal.

Democracy and equality in Newham it doesn't exist. There is such an obvious racial split between the areas that are targetted for draconian enforcement ant those that are not. BTW I'd be equally annoyed if the situation was reversed.

When a situation like the above is so obviously bent diversity wise then surely it comes within the mayors remit?


As for the batons issue, unfortunately there's nowt Livingstone can do as they're (unfortunately) a private security detail on private property, and until one of them twats someone and the matter goes to court, there's not much that anyone can do.
I wouldn't mind a few dozen of them being stuffed up Wales' arse sideways, though..[/QUOTE]

agreed

You're missing my point, which is that engaging doesn't undermine rights, in fact it puts the GLA in the position of being able to rebut any claims of being anti-Islam, while not having offered al-Qardawi a single concession..

It would have been better if he had backed progressive muslims this also would have shown he was not anti islam.

Actually the GLA's policies, given that any legislation he formulates has to be approved by the assembly.

And a toothless tiger that thing is