Does Ken Livingstone Deserve A Third Term?
Does Ken Livingstone Deserve A Third Term As Mayor Of London?Monday 21 April, RSA, 8 John Adam Street, London, WC2N 6EZ
Doors 6.30pm, Debate 7pm - 8.30pm
London's mayoral elections are imminent. Our debate asked whether Ken Livingstone, who has run the capital for the past eight years, deserves a third term in power.
The panellists, two defenders of the mayor and two critics, examined his record and discussed whether Londoners would be best served by keeping Ken - or changing their mayor.
Guest speakers:
Tessa Jowell - Olympics Minister/ Co-ordinator - Ken's mayoral campaign
Michael Gove - Shadow Spokesman for Education
Tristram Hunt - Historian and Broadcaster
Andrew Gilligan - Evening Standard Columnist
In the Chair: Anne McElvoy
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Clip One
Tessa Jowell -Olympics Minister/ co-ordinator of Ken Livingstone's mayoral campaign - explains why Ken deserves a third term.
Comment includes: popularity of debates/world class city and leader/challenges for the next four years/investment in London transport/Congestion Charge/ new housing/ affordable homes / establishment of neighbourhood policing across London/environment/climate change/rise in cycling/city of culture/2012/polarization/economy/ Crossrail and renewing infrastructure.
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Clip Two
Michael Gove - Shadow Spokesman for Education - explains why Ken doesn't deserve a third term.
Includes comment on: Charges against Ken/a divided city/New Labour/left wing politics/ Tammany Hall/misuse of public money/political thiefdom/ planning projects/property developments/Yusuf al-Qaradawi/extremism/divisive agenda/multicultural city/increase in crime / drop in affordable homes/Routemaster/disrespect of public consultation/symbol of complacency, arrogance and taking the public for granted.
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Clip Three
Tristram Hunt - Historian and Broadcaster - explains why Ken does deserve a third term.
Includes comment on: Governing at the centre/sprawling city/City Hall/history of county councils/municipal socialism/Fares Fair system/Congestion Charge/2012/Low Emission Zone/Oyster Card/Crossrail/taking on borough commanders/Boris's agenda/ premier global city and Ken deserving a third and final term.
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Clip Four
Andrew Gilligan - Evening Standard Columnist - explains why Ken doesn't deserve a third term.
Includes comment on: Scrutinising Ken's behaviour/his turn from vague admirer to opponent/ claimed achievements which are lies or nothing to do with Ken/ bus travel tracking economy/new housing/affordable homes showing no change/ operating without scrutiny/ rising CO2 emissions/ fake righteousness/ decay and atrophy/ sleaze/LDA/extravagance of spending/limited power of the Mayor and the Tube.
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Clip Five
Question from audience member Dennis Sewell "Is there anything that can be done to stop an elected mayor using public money to buy political support from sections of the community, or is it something that we have to learn to live with?" Response from the panel including: ongoing police investigations/independent scrutiny/campaign of smear innuendo/ executive power/'tissue of lies'/grotesque waste of public money/ clientism and accountability.
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Clip Six
Comment from audience member Kevin Greener on being Irish and Ken buying the vote. Question from audience member Robert Halfron "Have Ken's actions encouraged the BNP?"
Response from the panelists including: Ken's problematic race record/divide of racial identity/ no celebration of British culture/ diverse international city/ cohesion in London/ affordable housing/ tolerance of Londoners and Oliver Tambo.
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Clip Seven
Questions from audience members including:
Q1:Minette Marrin from the Sunday Times responding to Ken's alleged compromise of playing the racist card asking Tessa Jowell "Are you really proud of him? Is this the acceptable face of Labour in London?"
Q2:Audience member Richard Sterling "Am I the only person who sees a parallel between Ken Livingstone and Robert Mugabe? Ken should treat London less as an international shop window and more as a place where we can find common cause. Tessa do you accept that as far as al-Qaradawi was concerned did Ken get it right or wrong?"
Response from the panel including: Tessa's response/ refuted claims/no evidence of explicit support by Ken of Islamic extremism/ condemnation of London bombings/multicultural London/shameless use of race as a campaigning tool.
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Clip Eight
Questions from audience members including:
Q1:Matthew Beard from the Evening Standard asking Tessa Jowell "You and Ken were responsible for drawing up the original Olympic budget which failed to include a £2.7bn allowance for a contingency fund. Is this an example of a government and mayor willfully misleading the public on Olympic costs?"
Q2: Audience member Carmel McConnell from Magic Breakfast "Which candidate is best placed to solve the child poverty problem in London?"
Response from the panel including: regenerating the East End/ disaster of 2012/ Mayor's Fund/ reactionary voices/using the poor as a stage army/ maintaining public confidence/ change in security budget/ legacy of the Olympics and the regeneration of the poorest part of London.
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Clip Nine
Questions from audience members including:
Q1:Audience member Trevor Jackman "What future use will be made of the 2012 facilities?
Q2:Phil Harding from the Today Programme "Should we settle for the devil we know or should we opt for blind faith in his opponent?"
Q3:Audience member Ralph Hensall "Is it right that the Olympic project includes a mosque for 40,000 worshippers?"
Q4:Audience member "What were Tessa and Ken doing in the 4 years after the 911 attacks?
Q5:Audience member Richard Collins comments on skyscrapers in London and poses the question "How does Ken get away with it?"
Response from the panel includes: aesthetics of London/Boris's experience/Ken's arrogance and complacency/ internal Conservative politics/The Spectator/economy of London and confidence of voters. The audience vote on whether Ken deserves a third term.
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