• Question by: Darren Johnson
• Meeting date: 22 October 2003

This whole debate shows up the problem of Liberal Democrat campaign tactics in that it might be saying completely contradictory things in different parts of London, which might be a wonderful way of winning council seats but it is no way to run the Mayoralty as Mayor of London. Would you not agree?

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 22 October 2003

I am tempted to pursue a transport line but I cannot resist a political question, which is that I have observed the Liberal Democrats at close quarters for many years. I helped to defeat them in Tower Hamlets when they were involved in the borough. What concerns me is that Simon Hughes is an inner London Liberal Democrat. They try to steal Labour votes but then they carry out Tory policies. Outer London Liberal Democrats try to steal Tory votes and then carry out Labour policies or mimics of those. I think Londoners get very confused about what they are...

• Question by: Darren Johnson
• Meeting date: 22 October 2003

Consistent and visionary, and we will be overtaking not only Nicky but Simon probably soon anyway. Do you not also agree that you will have to be a bit more careful in terms of consistency come the next campaign? I remember you telling one campaign meeting on the subject of road bridges in East London: `If I am Mayor that bridge will be built over my dead body. They would have to bury me in the first block of concrete before it went ahead.'

• Question by: Nicky Gavron
• Meeting date: 22 October 2003

What impact will Liberal Democrat bus and train cuts at the same time as Tube upgrades have on traffic congestion?

• Question by: Nicky Gavron
• Meeting date: 22 October 2003

Thank you for that very full answer. Can I then ask you to comment on whether you believe the Liberal Democrat candidate's view would appear to be the opposite of his Liberal Democrat Assembly Member colleagues? It seems that the Liberal Democrats are in a state of confusion because my colleague, Lynne Featherstone, has, like myself, called for an additional bus route to serve schools and to cut congestion in Haringey, a very important east west route, but her Mayoral candidate wants to cut these services. Or is it night buses he wants to cut, or is he aiming to...

• Question by: Toby Harris
• Meeting date: 17 September 2003

I was waiting for the Mayor to respond to Eric Ollerenshaw's question. My question follows on from Eric's because I think Eric raises a very interesting point about the nature of local in the context of London politics. Obviously, London is a mixture of villages and different localities and I would welcome the Mayor's views on the importance of local links and local relationships of people who stand for public office. In particular, obviously he is aware of the long record of Robert Evans's links with Northwest London as a former MEP and the untiring work that he has done...

• Question by: Eric Ollerenshaw
• Meeting date: 17 September 2003

Chair, little do I want to interfere in the breakdown of the Liberal-Labour coalition, which has sustained an 82% increase in Council Tax over the last three years but now finds itself in some difficulty. I just want to point out to the Mayor that there is only one candidate of the principal parties standing who actually lives in the constituency and can truly be described as local. Only one who actually works in the constituency and actually represents the constituency on that notorious council run by Labour, Brent Council. That is Uma Fernandes, the Conservative.

• Question by: Graham Tope
• Meeting date: 17 September 2003

I must say, Chair, I do not know how long this is going to go on but I am quite happy to spend two and a half hours duelling on this. I must say that the Mayor has clearly had a much more sheltered and naïve electoral life than, I suspect, anyone else in this chamber if he has never experienced any of this before. Certainly, I have experienced it time and time again from the Conservative and Labour parties over the last 30 years. Chair, I have a list here of false claims made by the Labour candidate. I...

• Question by: Graham Tope
• Meeting date: 17 September 2003

Well, I am sorry to hear that, Chair, because there were four claims made where it was proved that Labour have made misleading statements. I think the Mayor is right in one thing: this does presage the campaign for next year, which, as with tomorrow, will again result in a Liberal Democrat victory next June. That clearly is what is really bothering the Mayor today.

• Question by: Graham Tope
• Meeting date: 17 September 2003

I think, Chair, all I need to say is thank you very much to the Mayor. He has now given the headline for today and tomorrow: London Mayor predicts Liberal Democrat victory in Brent East. Otherwise, why would the Mayor, who happens to live in Brent East and probably knows what the result is going to be tomorrow, use his oral update solely to speak about a by-election campaign in one constituency? Perhaps, as this is Question Time, I should ask the Mayor whether he saw Newsnight last night and would like to comment on Michael Crick's report on the...