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24-hour policing? Ken, this is just a bit of sheer bunkum
THERE are considerable achievements to Ken Livingstone’s name – an infinitely better London bus service, a welcome ratcheting-up of the share of social housing in all new builds, and a tenacious defence of the Freedom Pass.
You could say he has no need of gesture politics.
But, like most politicians, he finds himself from time to time mischievously engaging in the black arts of gesture politics and, often he gets away with it.
But he has gone too far this time.
His pledge – mirrored through the columns of this newspaper this week (see page 3) – that he will ensure that the Haverstock ward is provided with 24-hour policing is unadulterated gesture politics or, in simple English, pure bunkum.
Imagine, to police the streets in the ward 24 hours a day, seven days a week would involve a dedicated detachment of 50-100 police officers.
First, where would the numbers come from? Aren’t the police pretty under-staffed at it is?
Secondly, where would the funds come from?
It’s forgivable for a callow young politician to run off the mouth. In front of a reporter’s notebook, a politician can say something that he will later regret.
But Livingstone has knocked about in hard-core politics for more than 35 years – and that is a long enough apprenticeship to make him sufficiently mature to publicly use his words more cautiously.
Labour is struggling to hold on to the Haverstock seat. To lose it would be a heavy blow. It’s understandable that Livingstone, a good Labour man, would want to throw his weight behind Labour’s campaign. But this time he has acted foolishly – and said something that could boomerang on Labour’s chances.
Defection proves school debate farce
SOONER or later the truth will emerge from behind the shadows surrounding the controversy over today’s big school debate.
We have suggested the politicians have secretly made up their minds to site a new school in the Swiss Cottage area – despite mountainous protests from parents in south Camden where there is not one solitary secondary school.
Are we being over-dramatic?
No, judging by the message carried by Philip Nelson (See page 2) who has defected from the Tories to Labour.
He says the council leader Andrew Mennear has made it known he wants the school in north Camden.
If Mr Nelson is right, then the recent consultation involving parents will prove to be what we have suggested it is – a sham, and a disgracefully cynical sham, at that.
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