• Question by: Angie Bray
• Meeting date: 12 July 2006

Well, they knew that there was only one socialist left in this country and that was you, Mr Livingstone, so they probably did not have much choice in the matter.

• Question by: Angie Bray
• Meeting date: 12 July 2006

So can you categorically state that there will be no financial involvement from the GLA in the running of this centre?

• Question by: Angie Bray
• Meeting date: 12 July 2006

I think I will just point out that there are some countries around the world where people get elected by 98% of the vote and we would not necessarily consider them desperately democratic. I think some of us will be amused, some rather depressed, at your rejoining your comrades in arms. I just hope that you are not going to have a complete return to the bad old days of the Greater London Council (GLC) when, as I understand it, meetings virtually always started with a fraternal greetings exchange with your brothers in Nicaragua; let us hope that you don't...

• Question by: Angie Bray
• Meeting date: 12 July 2006

I think it would be extraordinary if you were allowed to develop your own energy policy separately from the national government of this country. Can we get some answers from you on what the GLA involvement in this might be? Can you tell us, for instance, whether there will be any involvement of the Mayor's office or the GLA with this information centre?

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 12 July 2006

Obviously this will be looked at as a potential trial of strength between Ealing Council and your good office. Clearly one of the concerns that is being expressed in lots of areas around outer London, specifically where bus lanes have been put in, those bus lanes are empty for large parts of the day, yet you have huge queues of traffic where essentially a lane of traffic has been taken out. Now, are you saying that you are going to be more flexible in discussing with boroughs how appropriate traffic arrangements could be made to make sure that traffic can...

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 12 July 2006

Quite clearly we can point to areas where you have got precisely that, bus lanes empty and huge queues of traffic, and we will come and talk to you about those specific areas.

• Question by: Murad Qureshi
• Meeting date: 12 July 2006

Are you suggesting that the annual grants may be affected as a result of this action?

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 12 July 2006

There are also potential opportunities to expand or widen roads rather than taking out lanes of traffic in order to put in bus lanes, which is what is going on from your office.

• Question by: Murad Qureshi
• Meeting date: 12 July 2006

Thank you for informing us about the knock-on effects of this unilateral action by Ealing Council. Are we expecting this to be replicated by other councils potentially in London, since some have changed regimes?

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 12 July 2006

Well I look forward to you agreeing, but of course the problems are not just endemic in Brent, they are endemic across outer London.