• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 20 June 2001

This is where I have a problem with the image that is developing of you in your presentation this morning - that, as Mayor, you are a cross between Dirty Harry in your relationship with the Government and the Care Bears in your relationship with the public of London. The Mayor: I think the public have it about right. John Biggs: Obviously, any credible, serious politician sometimes has to be brave, and the interesting thing about the DLR - I was opposed to this at the time - is that it was effectively privatised through a franchise agreement which has...

• Question by: Jennette Arnold OBE
• Meeting date: 20 June 2001

Can I take you back, Ken, to the subject of partnership? I can recognise a partner you have not used, and that is the Government. Because Londoners are not stupid, they know that, no matter how worthy the case you are going to put for London, which most people support, it is weak because you do not have a good enough relationship with the Government of the day, who are a key partner. What Londoners want to hear from you is what moves you are making to re-establish that partnership and work with your friend at the Treasury or wherever...

• Question by: Meg Hillier
• Meeting date: 20 June 2001

I cannot really believe what I have just heard - the Mayor extolling the need to put resources into outer London, when his own strategies do not do that. Outer London has been ignored. We have dubbed you the zone 1 Mayor with good reason. The Mayor: Steve Norris dubbed me the zone 1 Mayor. Meg Hillier: You are leading a "Fair Deal for London" campaign, when you are certainly not perceived by Londoners in outer London as representing their interests or investing in their areas. I leave that as a comment. When it comes to working with partners, you...

• Question by: Lynne Featherstone
• Meeting date: 20 June 2001

I am concerned that, when you go back and look at your strategies during the consultation period, you do not lose any opportunities and do not prohibit those parts of London which are not the central focus of your plans from making the best of this new government of London.

• Question by: Trevor Phillips
• Meeting date: 20 June 2001

You will be expecting Bob Neil and his friends to say to Conservative MPs in Surrey and Kent, "Sorry, we are on the opposite side from you on this one"?

• Question by: Trevor Phillips
• Meeting date: 20 June 2001

So for the sake of clarity, you are saying that you want a new Barnett formula which will be based on the existing regions?

• Question by: Trevor Phillips
• Meeting date: 20 June 2001

A question about tactics, Ken - a gentle question. [Laughter.] As is my wont. I think we can all feel comfortable with the position you expressed earlier - decentralisation cannot be realistic without true devolution of powers. That means that the interests of different regions might not be the same. The grand coalition that you were essentially talking about is fine in theory, but there are a couple of questions we have to get clear before we start. First of all, when we talk about the south-east - I do not disagree with you at all - what are the...

• Question by: Samantha Heath
• Meeting date: 20 June 2001

If it is not a veto, how are you going to carry them along if - as has happened in the past - letters go out without full sight, and only a day or so is given for people to wade through huge thick documents? How are you going to ensure that the partners you have identified will feel more comfortable with this campaign, and that it is not just a "make Ken stronger" campaign?

• Question by: Meg Hillier
• Meeting date: 20 June 2001

I am merely asking you not to abuse your position and shoot from the hip on issues without knowing that you have the broad support of partners. That is your tendency: you will come up with a statement one day, and partners who have signed up to something in good faith are suddenly left on the sidelines - The Mayor: Give me an example - The Chair: Can we just agree that the two of you are not going to agree on this?

• Question by: Jennette Arnold OBE
• Meeting date: 20 June 2001

I am sorry Chair: I have just a little question of clarification. I am not talking about brown-nosing; I do not approve of it, and I would not expect you to do it. But you could at least recognise what has been done - for instance, the huge investment in housing. You will not make London's case better if you do not recognise what is being done, so that you can build on it. That is the point - not brown-nosing, but recognising that investment is there and it is about targeting resources, which you will have to do, and...