• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 20 December 2000

: I think I am hearing you right. You are saying that you based this year's budget on two conversations with my very good friends Val and Toby - they are good pals of mine, but I do not think that that in itself is sufficient - a press conference and probably a fag packet somewhere along the line as well. Do you think that that is an adequate way of raising the taxes for Londoners? Do you, for example, feel that it would be useful for us to have budget hearings with you, where we talk with your representatives...

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 20 December 2000

We remember that when, shortly after the election, you were handing our largesse and jobs to people on the Assembly and off the Assembly, you told the BBC that you could think of no one better than Lord Harris to get to grips with the MPA budget. Following your decision to give him the job, first of all we had the speech which told you to keep your nose out - a speech you described today as "offensive". We have had your description of the MPA's budget as "medieval", which they might find offensive. You felt the need to intervene...

• Question by: Graham Tope
• Meeting date: 20 December 2000

Ken, are you aware that the budget report to the MPA said: "After discussion with GLA officers, it has been assumed that the 60p increase" - that is, the increase that you said would be for the police - "would be applied fully to the police precept, ignoring the liability to meet council tax benefit subsidy cost." Is that statement correct - in other words, that the additional money will go fully to the police, and that you will absorb the £16 million cost of that part of the council tax subsidy elsewhere?

• Question by: Brian Coleman
• Meeting date: 20 December 2000

I am grateful to the Mayor for that answer, and for his letter. As he rightly says, the activities of the pro-Real IRA at this public house led to National Front and Anti-Nazi League demonstrations, and to much use of police resources, which would be better spent fighting crime. Will he take this opportunity to condemn the activities of the so-called "real" IRA?

• Question by: Tony Arbour
• Meeting date: 20 December 2000

Will you rubbish the activities of dissident people from the Republic carrying out activities here in London?

• Question by: Tony Arbour
• Meeting date: 20 December 2000

I do not really think that we are surprised at that answer from you, for failing to condemn the real IRA.

• Question by: Victor Anderson
• Meeting date: 20 December 2000

• Question by: Victor Anderson
• Meeting date: 20 December 2000

There is a particular problem about ethnic minorities and the SDS. I have been to meetings about planning in London where we have been talking about new train and Tube lines which would go through inner-city areas where large numbers of ethnic minority people live. We are talking about the regeneration of those areas, yet often not a single black or Asian person has been in the room. We do have to pay special attention to this, because a large part of the aim of the SDS is to improve circumstances for black and Asian people in London; so surely...

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 20 December 2000

John McDonnell has disappeared, as have a number of other people. [Interruption.] I will open my present with care this year. You started off in May with all the rhetorical stuff about the "big tent", and you are now down to the status of Joe Stalin in the 1940s. Presumably you have a food taster now, since you only trust about three people. You started with big tent rhetoric, but in reality you have crawled into a very small bunker. The quality of your decision making has tangibly diminished as a consequence.

• Question by: Richard Barnes
• Meeting date: 20 December 2000

In his press statement when he left your unrewarded employ, John McDonnell said that he was going off to prepare for the general election - which is perhaps a variation on "spending more time with my family". At the time you appointed him, I advised you that John McDonnell was long on consultation and short on delivery. Don't you wish you had taken my advice