Who will be London’s next Mayor? Read more on the race for City Hall
On 16th June, Prospect and Centre for London are hosting our first hustings debate, where contenders for the Labour candidacy for Mayor of London make their pitch—find more details and register for free here.
Beforehand, we've asked each candidate in the hustings the five same questions, and will be running the results on the site in the days leading up to the event. The first, with David Lammy, is below.
Why should you be Mayor of London in a sentence? I have seen London from all sides. I know what it is to live in this city and struggle, but also what it’s like to be able to do well; I’m not seen as a party hack, or a divisive figure, and I’ve got a vision for a London in which everyone can benefit from the opportunities that this city has given to me.
What do you see the biggest challenge being for London from 2016-2020? Housing, housing, housing. It’s been at the heart of my campaign from day one. I think we face two challenges: building homes in the numbers that we need which is at least 50,000 per year, and making those homes genuinely, and I emphasise genuinely, affordable for Londoners. I think we have got to build social homes, as well as homes that people can buy. That would need bold leadership, and decisive action, and it will take on vested interests, but [we] need to work with partners both in the public and private sector to deliver. I’ve been prepared to raise difficult issues like revisiting the green belt, because I don’t think we should be selling off school playgrounds in inner London to save car parks in outer London. So housing is the big issue, affordable, social and available for Londoners.
What was the best aspect of Boris’ administration? He has been a good ambassador for London on the world stage. I think it’s important that London is an outward looking city. My own view is that it would be a disaster for London were we to pull out of Europe. That is on the horizon for the next Mayor. But on the details, housing, transport fares, police numbers, youth unemployment, I’m afraid he’s shambolic.
If during your time as Mayor you could get one more power from central government devolved to you, what would it be? It’s [more] fiscal autonomy. I think the Mayor’s office should retain business rates [for example]. The fact the Mayor effectively only keeps 7 per cent of control of his budget, compared to 70 per cent in Tokyo, well over 50 per cent in New York, I’m afraid is totally unacceptable. I do think when we are devolving to Scotland and to Wales, and given London is actually a bigger share of our GDP than those two places combined, the Mayor does need more power.
How would you define a Londoner? You can’t, that’s the beauty of it. A Londoner can’t be put in any box. People from all backgrounds, all creeds, can come here from all over the country and the world, and they often have nothing in common apart from a love of this city, and the bond with it that never goes away. A Londoner is anyone... who has this city in their heart.
On 16th June, Prospect and Centre for London are hosting our first hustings debate, where contenders for the Labour candidacy for Mayor of London make their pitch—find more details and register for free here.
Beforehand, we've asked each candidate in the hustings the five same questions, and will be running the results on the site in the days leading up to the event. The first, with David Lammy, is below.
Why should you be Mayor of London in a sentence? I have seen London from all sides. I know what it is to live in this city and struggle, but also what it’s like to be able to do well; I’m not seen as a party hack, or a divisive figure, and I’ve got a vision for a London in which everyone can benefit from the opportunities that this city has given to me.
What do you see the biggest challenge being for London from 2016-2020? Housing, housing, housing. It’s been at the heart of my campaign from day one. I think we face two challenges: building homes in the numbers that we need which is at least 50,000 per year, and making those homes genuinely, and I emphasise genuinely, affordable for Londoners. I think we have got to build social homes, as well as homes that people can buy. That would need bold leadership, and decisive action, and it will take on vested interests, but [we] need to work with partners both in the public and private sector to deliver. I’ve been prepared to raise difficult issues like revisiting the green belt, because I don’t think we should be selling off school playgrounds in inner London to save car parks in outer London. So housing is the big issue, affordable, social and available for Londoners.
What was the best aspect of Boris’ administration? He has been a good ambassador for London on the world stage. I think it’s important that London is an outward looking city. My own view is that it would be a disaster for London were we to pull out of Europe. That is on the horizon for the next Mayor. But on the details, housing, transport fares, police numbers, youth unemployment, I’m afraid he’s shambolic.
If during your time as Mayor you could get one more power from central government devolved to you, what would it be? It’s [more] fiscal autonomy. I think the Mayor’s office should retain business rates [for example]. The fact the Mayor effectively only keeps 7 per cent of control of his budget, compared to 70 per cent in Tokyo, well over 50 per cent in New York, I’m afraid is totally unacceptable. I do think when we are devolving to Scotland and to Wales, and given London is actually a bigger share of our GDP than those two places combined, the Mayor does need more power.
How would you define a Londoner? You can’t, that’s the beauty of it. A Londoner can’t be put in any box. People from all backgrounds, all creeds, can come here from all over the country and the world, and they often have nothing in common apart from a love of this city, and the bond with it that never goes away. A Londoner is anyone... who has this city in their heart.
