2008 July Archive at LondonSays

Archive for July, 2008

Mergers Ahoy!

Published by Simon on July 30, 2008 in LondonSays. 0 Comments

It would seem that the groundwork is being laid for Boris Johnson’s long wished for take-over of the Met.

Perhaps this isn’t the route which the Mayor envisaged taking when wishing for a “democratic mechanism” to scrutinise London’s police, but it looks like this might be the one which delivers it to him.

Previously, as stated in his email to us, Mr Johnson has made it clear that he intends to take over as Chairman of the MPA in October, thus taking a scrutiny role in policing. Any action to remove the Commissioner now would, in effect, result in the assumption of powers by his office as-yet only talked about in the Policing Green Paper. It should be noted that the Mayor’s office claims that he has had no part in any such discussions (thus far).

Away from policing, the Met isn’t the only office which City Hall is eyeing up. Design for London (London’s body for architecture and urban design) is also being brought under the wing, this time of the LDA. Given that the talk is that the LDA is likely to have its spending powers stripped following the Forensic Audit Panel’s investigation, one has to wonder at the optimism of Peter Bishop, DfL’s Director:

“You could say this was the end of DfL or see it as a huge opportunity. There are obviously frustrations about being a free floating organisation. There have been times when we have put an awful lot of effort in and not a lot has come out.

“Now there’s the opportunity to take a lot of ideas and back them with spending budgets and put them into practice. It’s a logical move.”

As we have stated in the past, until a Chief Executive is appointed to the LDA there is little surety about the future, or direction, of the organisation. Curiously the page advertising the post on the LDA’s website has been taken down. Perhaps a silly-season announcement beckons?

Finally, closer to home, there is to be something of a merger between LondonUnlocked and LondonSays.

For the first two weeks of August the blogs will jointly publish a manifesto on London’s transport network, examining current and future plans for the capital’s transport network. At the end of August an edited version of this manifesto will be available for download as a pdf file. You lucky, lucky people.

You read it there first

Published by Andrew on July 30, 2008 in LondonSays. 0 Comments

August is almost upon us, so why not? Prospect dust off their mayoral candidature crystal ball and float the prospect (npi) of historian Tristram Hunt joining Siralan Sugar, Jon Cruddas, Oona King and the drummer from Blur as the Anyone But Ken choices for Labour in 2012. At first, it’s a plausible case — Hunt (once dubbed “the Jamie Oliver of history”) a noted enthusiast of elected mayors (his Building Jerusalem effortlessly morphs from Victoriana to government white paper) is well-connected among the party’s Primrose Hill set (he even helped Derek Draper write a book) and, most crucially, believes Ken can be seen off from becoming Labour’s standard-bearer by default. But, as the piece (in full, below) continues, his attacks on the former mayor are more likely to be for the benefit of another:

Ever since he wrote a piece in the Guardian saying Labour should send Ken Livingstone off “to tend his garden and feed his newts,” elegant young historian Tristram Hunt has been discussed as a possible Labour candidate for the London mayoralty in 2012. And if a bit of posh is what is now required to seize the testicle from Boris, who better? Hunt went to a good public school, writes nicely and is the perfect candidate for the outer “doughnut” of upmarket London boroughs that voted for Boris. And his aunt is Virginia Bottomley—the Margot Leadbetter of British politics. But when confronted, Hunt denies that he has any intention of standing. His attack on King Newt wasn’t motivated by personal ambition—he was just acting as an attack dog for someone else. And that person? Apparently none other than David Lammy MP, under-secretary for skills and Tottenham’s answer to Barack Obama—with whom he claims to be friendly. Watch out Boris: you read it here first.

In the end, Labour are probably more likely to select the real Jamie Oliver (he does have history in going up against Boris.) But three years and a bit ahead of the actual election, there are others in Labour expending energy over the prospect of Ken standing again, such as the Fabians’ Sunder Katwala. Katwala raises an open primary as one way to ~~thwart~~ open up a Livingstone candidacy to wider electoral support, as does, erm, David Lammy. Pukka indeed.

Boris to blog?

Published by Andrew on July 29, 2008 in LondonSays. 0 Comments

Hidden away in last week’s Local Government Chronicle (’Pilot internet television stations forecast for autumn’, 24 July) was a commitment from the GLA that “Mr Johnson would begin writing a blog.”

We can only hope it’s better than his last one but perhaps the lure of blogging and rebuttal was just too much to resist. Either way, it’s a step forward for comms at the GLA.

Boris Writes…

Published by Simon on July 28, 2008 in LondonSays. 2 Comments

Our open letter of May has received a reply from the Mayor:

Thank you for your email and for your kind wishes as I start my administration as Mayor of London. I apologise for the delay in responding to you.

Your manifesto has successfully highlighted some of the most important issues facing London, and I am determined to address them during my term in office.

Your article on community cohesion, for example, correctly identified the rather prosaic but crucial issue of Government under funding due to the underestimating of London’s population.

I have consistently made it clear that I believe a key part of London’s success is its cosmopolitan character, and we should always be a city that welcomes new people. However, if we are to do so in a sustainable manner then the Boroughs need the resources to provide the social and public services to support such population increases. To this end, I will be using my role as Mayor to stand up and champion the Boroughs and use my influence to lobby Government for the vital funding needed.

I am also in agreement with your article on London’s economy, and you will find that my Business and Skills Manifesto also places importance on championing the needs of the City to keep London competitive, and championing small business to promote aspiration. I also regard delivering the major transport projects needed to help London keep pace with population and economic growth as a key priority for my administration.

I will also be placing prime importance on sustainability, and in particular reducing carbon emissions. As I stated in my Environment Manifesto, I will be working with the Boroughs and leading energy companies to make more use of schemes that offer council tax rebates in return for the installation of home insulation. I also intend to improve the energy efficiency of both public and private buildings.

But most importantly, the fight against crime will be the litmus test of this administration. The spate of youth murders simply must be brought to a halt. It is a problem that very quickly demands clarity in response. We must stop young kids carrying knives and guns, and we must provide the structured environments that deter them from the catastrophic choices they are currently making.

This is why we have already increased the use of knife scanners, and increased the number of police officers on public transport. We have also banned alcohol consumption on public transport as well.

In order to give this agenda the drive it needs, I will be taking the Chair of the MPA when regulations permit me to do so. I believe that the response to this problem must be led by the Mayor, and in the absence of powers of direction, it will the best way in which I can get directly involved in order to shape and set the agenda to ensure my priorities are being followed.

I found your proposals very informative, and I am glad that there is an independent body that is dedicating itself to thinking about London issues in the long term. I look forward to reading more of your material, and I look forward to seeing your organisation grow.

Yours sincerely

Boris Johnson

Mayor of London

Better late than never… let us know what you think about the Mayor’s comments. You can find the Alternative Manifesto here.

Re: Jobs for the chaps

Published by Simon on July 24, 2008 in LondonSays. 1 Comment

Andrew’s post about Boris’ immigration pledge has been chipping away at me for some time. After the post went up Andrew and I had a bit of back and forth on email about it, which has only served to exacerbate my issue with Boris’ position.

Despite the appearance that the LondonSays’ blog team is oracular in its knowledge, I had missed the quiet dropping of the now-Mayor’s pledge. For those who were in a similar boat (or can’t manage the scroll down the page to Andrew’s original post), that pledge was:

“If an immigrant has been here for a long time and there is no realistic prospect of returning them, then I do think that person’s condition should be regularised so that they can pay taxes and join the rest of society.”

As would have been expected, the statement caused consternation in certain Tory circles at the time. ConservativeHome quoted a ‘refined’ position from Team Boris which was essentially (and rather boldly) the same statement but with more thoughtful language:

“Boris was speaking in a personal capacity about what he thinks was best for London. He thinks that long term immigrants who have no prospect of going home (and he means by this those who have been here for 10 years - not the 4 years that was reported) should be registered and pay taxes. He understands the party position but came to this view because of a couple of things:

a) London gets a raw deal from the Chancellor. Boroughs get paid per population and if immigrants are ignored, public services are not properly funded.

b) We should be collecting taxes from those who have been here long term.”

David Cameron stepped back from the policy, arguing that one amnesty begets another, thus storing up more problems for the future. However, he also said: “Boris is his own man. He is standing on his own platform and he dictates his own policies.”

With the quiet dropping of the policy, perhaps this isn’t the case.

It’s no secret that City Hall has had some difficulties of late. The CCHQ drafted ‘rudder’ team of James McGrath and Linton Crosby have both, one way or another, moved on. The recent reinforcement of the already substantial Policy Exchange presence now found in his upper team suggests a Cameroon guiding hand behind the scenes.

Boris has spoken passionately and cogently before on having Muslim ancestry and on his family’s immigrant status. Despite appearances, he is in many ways the product of a multi-cultural world. Certainly there is the history there to believe that his earlier pledge was one from the heart, and not a matter of political expediency.

Politically, the obvious tack when facing a difficult period is to move towards your base. In dropping his pledge, that would certainly appear to be what Boris has done. If that is that case, then his move is disgraceful.

If Boris really does value liberty, freedom and opportunity he should take a leaf out of Ronald Reagan’s book and enact a coherent policy from his beliefs.

Reagan understood the economic and social benefits that immigrants brought to the USA and issued an amnesty in 1986. Those same benefits formed the basis for Boris’ pledge in April. No factors have changed since then to undermine that position.

Boris must look beyond political expediency and do the right thing. To do so would close the door on the unfortunate recent revelations about the pasts and views of some of his staff. It would also mark a clear line and allow him to be defined on his own terms.

Thousands of people are waiting for the Mayor to deliver on his pledge and to be taken into active society. By staying quiet, Boris disenfranchises them all. That is simply not right.

LU: CrossRail

Published by Simon on July 24, 2008 in LondonSays. 0 Comments

With CrossRail having received Royal Assent, the path is laid for the project to begin in earnest. TfL and other CrossRail partners are taking the opportunity to make hay by showcasing an exhibition on the project near Tottenham Court Road Station, itself a major beneficiary of the scheme.

However, warning bells are already being rung. The Telegraph carries an article on the pitfalls awaiting the project, highlighting the loose nature of the funding already set aside. Key paragraphs below:

The DfT is putting up £5.1bn courtesy of the taxpayer, but the rest is less certain. Mayor Boris, via the Greater London Authority and Transport for London, is on the hook for £7.7bn, a big chunk of which still requires legislation. The City of London has promised to cough up £350m - though only £200m is guaranteed - while other companies, including Network Rail and the cash-strapped BAA, must contribute.

It is the Mayor’s chunk where there are most moving parts. Some £3.5bn is due to come from a business rates supplement of 2p per pound, expected from April 2010. The Mayor is also banking on a £300m contribution from property developers around Crossrail stations and £300m more from a new statutory planning charge, also scheduled for April 2010.

Then there’s a £2.7bn contribution from TfL, which comes out of its £38bn 10-year funding settlement to March 2017. The worry is that, after the collapse of Tube maintenance company Metronet, TfL could be called to plug further funding gaps on London Underground.

The £16bn funding package ’secured’ by Gordon Brown suddenly looks perilous when the factors above are taken into account. At a time of economic downturn, when the Government is looking to significantly extend its borrowing, relying on the now-shakey profits of Network Rail, BAA, and property developers for a cash fillip seems somewhat short-sighted.

Boris Johnson has said that CrossRail is a “cracking deal for the capital.” One way or another, he may be right. Tony Travers, director of the London Group at the LSE believes that the “money is some way from being in the bag.” If some of the projected funding for the scheme does not materialise then one has to wonder which fund will be used to plug the gap - Tube upgrade money, central Government funds, rate increases? At the moment it is not clear.

The Mayor has stated that the planned £30bn Tube upgrade is secure and will not be affected by events caused by the CrossRail scheme. The Guardian reports that all may not be that rosy with these plans either:

According to senior sources, Tube Lines could be facing a funding gap of a similar scale to Metronet’s. The PPP contract referee, Chris Bolt, is due to publish his report on Tube Lines’ financial needs for 2010 to 2017 next month. The mayor’s transport body, Transport for London (TfL), requested the assessment after becoming concerned that both sides are too far apart on how much funding Tube Lines needs - which comes from TfL’s budget.

London under Mayor Johnson could find itself in a perfect storm: an under-negotiated settlement for London transport from the DfT; a funding gap at Tube Lines; CrossRail funding issues, and a spiralling Olympic budget.

London needs CrossRail - it’s difficult to argue otherwise. By 2017, when the first trains are running on the line, the extra capacity which it offers will be soaked up almost instantly. However, London needs more urgently a cogent and water-tight funding settlement from central Government in order to ensure the security of the myriad projects currently commissioned. A problem with one project cannot be allowed to derail the others, and London’s rate payers should not have to shoulder the entire burden given the near 20% contribution to GDP which business here delivers, punching well above its weight.

Also to be considered - to the collective shudders of many - is what should follow next. CrossRail will provide only 40% of the extra capacity which will be needed by 2016. Until launch at 2017 our current transport network will be squeezed, and after the relief after will not be as significant as some have hoped. So what follows? CrossRail 2? An overground solution?

This discussion needs to start now, even if the build may not for another 15 years.

Jobs for the chaps

Published by Andrew on July 22, 2008 in LondonSays. 2 Comments

There’s more behind the Evening Standard’s headline ‘Think tank chief joins team Boris’ than might otherwise be suggested. The subs’ anodyne assertion could also be viewed as yet more triumphalism on the part of the rebranded mass-market Londoner of this administration, a kind of ‘Well done, Boris!’, as if recruiting yet another Policy Exchange staffer (former Mayor’s Chief of Staff Nicholas Boles’ successor as Director, no less) as Policy Director is nothing short of a coup as headhunting goes. Or perhaps I’m being a touch conspiracy-theorist here and Mr Browne’s appointment represents the sort of “bang for buck” acumen and stewardship of taxpayers’ resources that we can naturally associate with this administration and the best is yet to come. Perhaps. But coming on the heels of the virtual merger of ~~Socialist Action~~ Policy Exchange and the Mayor’s Office, questions will be asked.

Questions (as the Standard’s piece alludes) such as Mr Browne’s record on immigration, given the GLA’s role in governing such a multicultural city as London (as London’s Official Opposition Ken Livingstone says in the piece “deeply at odds with the needs of a multicultural city like London”.) Questions that aren’t but should be being asked include the “quietly dropped” amnesty for irregular migrants and why it was “quietly dropped” and by whom? A throwaway remark, as an unattributed briefing to a journalist during post-election euphoria, is hardly a policy commitment. As it stands, the Mayor is on record as having support for such an initiative:

If an immigrant has been here for a long time and there is no realistic prospect of returning them, then I do think that person’s condition should be regularised so that they can pay taxes and join the rest of society,

He should be held to account for that stance and a policy worked up in that regard. Yet this would appear to fall squarely under the brief of the newly-appointed Director of Policy.

Immigration affects all aspects of the capital’s life, from the cost of goods and services, to housing, transport, employment and social cohesion (and is therefore a legitimate topic of concern for this blog.) That the mayor has brought into the fold someone with such a controversial past in this regard suggests there is something woefully wrong in the appointments policy of this administration, beyond that which has already been much commented on.

Back Ken 2012

Published by Simon on July 21, 2008 in LondonSays. 3 Comments

The AFP reported on Saturday on Ken Livingstone’s declaration that he would stand again for the mayoralty in 2012.

The basis of the AFP’s report is a Guardian article from Friday, the day earlier, where the former Mayor stated:

“If a mayoral election were held tomorrow I would put my name forward for it, and if nothing changes I will put my name forward to run in 2012.”

Funnily enough, we covered this story three weeks before that, reporting on comments Mr Livingstone made live on The Andrew Marr Show. Our exact quote was:

“I won’t make a decision until 2010, once the general election is over. If there was an election now I would run again.”

One has to wonder at the journalistic game of Chinese whispers being played here.

On the (slightly) more weighty topic of the prospect of a Johnson vs Livingstone clash in 2012, Andrew Gilligan has penned a must-read article for The Guardian:

If I were Boris Johnson, I would today be spinning around in my mayoral Aeron chair, uttering cries of glee in Latin, unable to believe my luck. Ken Livingstone’s formal announcement that he wishes to challenge Boris again for the mayoralty in 2012 is proof that, for the Tories, Ken is the gift that just keeps on giving.

You can, and should, read the entire thing here.

LU: Britain’s Train Network

Published by Simon on July 21, 2008 in LondonSays. 3 Comments

The Guardian reports on the recent Transport Select Committee report, which states that the Government’s rail strategy “lacks ambition and should be sent back to the drawing board”.

Given rising fuel prices and the marked shift by commuters onto public transport, the Select Committee criticises the Government at length for failures in its long term strategy. From The Guardian:

The white paper’s failure to embrace high-speed rail - the document said the need for a fast network “has not currently been established” - is also singled out for stern criticism by the committee, amid mounting enthusiasm among Conservative party politicians and Network Rail executives for the idea.

“It is deeply disappointing that the white paper dodged the decision on high-speed rail,” says the report, which urges the government to act immediately once Network Rail, the company that owns and maintains the British rail system, completes a feasibility study on high-speed rail next year. It adds: “Hesitation [over high-speed rail] now will mean years of avoidable misery and overcrowding on the network.”

This damning report comes as public criticism of the rail network mounts. The Observer detailed yesterday the “travelling misery” about to be imposed on the public thanks to rail maintenance during Britain’s traditional holiday month. Statistics within the article paint a grim picture of the main British alternative to cars:

Rail travel in Britain is also more expensive than anywhere else in Europe, according to a study by the travel agent Thomas Cook. In February it published figures showing that in Britain £10 will buy just 27 miles of travel by train, compared to 38 miles in Ireland and 50 in France. Recently the news that fares will soar yet again by as much as 10 per cent because of inflation generated another round of negative headlines.

Finally, MPs have taken a stab at train bosses’ pay, and the frequency of six-figure bonuses despite a non-equivalent leap in service. Given the likelihood of a summer of misery, and no respite in service quality, this situation is unsustainable.

Government needs to re-visit Britain’s railway network, considering seriously high-speed rail from hubs such as Heathrow (as suggested in these plans) and provide a reliable alternative to travel by car. Business needs plans to be outlined now, so that it can plan for the future.

—

You can read the full Select Committee report into railways, Delivering a Sustainable Railway: A 30 Year Strategy for the Railways, here.

Commissioner Boris

Published by Simon on July 18, 2008 in LondonSays. 4 Comments

The release of the Policing Green Paper yesterday marks a clear path for Boris Johnson to assume the powers he’s called for since entering London politics: effectively granting him complete democratic control over policing services in London.

The Guardian states that ministers believe direct elections will provide “a clear and powerful public voice” in police decision-making. Of course, that rather depends on the seriousness of the Mayor or elected police representative in question, though the sentiment is admirable.

Whilst few people now doubt the importance which Boris Johnson places on crime - it being a major campaign plank - refusnik towns such as Hartlepool face the prospect of having policing run by men in monkey suits. Perhaps not what Jacqui Smith had in mind when launching this rather bold policy.

Writing in The Guardian, Heather Brook of Your Right To Know examines the issues surrounding the police’s inability - she says refusal - to release accurate crime maps for London. The article is worth reading in full as it covers this complex topic far more clearly than a summary of mine would.

Boris Johnson called for the publication of crime maps back in February. If the Policing Green Paper goes through in the autumn, he may finally have the authority to release them. Crime maps are a powerful tool in fighting city-wide disorder when used effectively. If the Green Paper can deliver them for London, then it will be worth while.

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