• Question by: Bob Neill
• Meeting date: 15 December 2004

But why could you not conceive of increasing it and then go back on it? That is what we are trying to get at.

• Question by: Bob Neill
• Meeting date: 15 December 2004

That came along, so you then broke the word that you had previously given.

• Question by: Bob Neill
• Meeting date: 15 December 2004

Prudential borrowing and the prospect of raising bonds was being talked about when you made that pledge. Why did you break your word?

• Question by: Bob Neill
• Meeting date: 15 December 2004

What about for the future?

• Question by: Bob Neill
• Meeting date: 15 December 2004

Well, as you see in my proposed budget, I am not proposing an increase in the council tax for TfL.

• Question by: Bob Neill
• Meeting date: 15 December 2004

Can we just get it clear, then? Can you tell us now: are the debt charges for the borrowing going to met from fares or from the council tax?

• Question by: Angie Bray
• Meeting date: 15 December 2004

You told Londoners they would.

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 15 December 2004

I thought you might have been saying something more like, `Do not worry, everybody. Gordon Brown is going to allow me to incur a huge debt on your behalf and leave you with the mortgage for paying it off over many years.- Nevertheless, is not the reason that you did not say that, and you did not tell Londoners before the election about how you were going to plug a black hole in your finances, because it actually would have clashed with what you were saying then, which was that fare increases would be held at an inflationary level for...

• Question by: Bob Neill
• Meeting date: 15 December 2004

You are on record as saying you could not conceive of circumstances in which you would increase the Congestion Charge beyond inflation. What happened?

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 15 December 2004

We know the record the Liberals have in that respect, Mr Mayor, but why did you not publish your fare proposals before the election?