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Lucy leaves the small pond
• WHEN London Mayor Ken Livingstone ran housing at the Town Hall in the late 1970s, there came a time when he felt the local pond was too small for him.
He hungered – as he once told this newspaper – for a more political life, and so moved upwards to a higher realm.
Councillor Lucy Anderson, Labour’s deputy leader, seems to be travelling the same path. Coincidentally, ending up at the place where Ken Livingstone made his first serious political moves.
If Labour had remained the majority party, perhaps Lucy Anderson would have stayed the course at the Town Hall.
But, in opposition, local politics are now probably too parochial for her.
Ever since politics became a career choice, and not, as it used to be, a vocation, driven by ideology, far too many politicians have moved around the political chess board, motivated by too much self-interest constantly looking for the next best move – best for their own career.
We are sure Cllr Anderson is not in this mould.
But still her sudden departure from the Town Hall, where she built up a reputation as a skilful operator, does little for the spirit of politics.
And to make matters worse, it does little for Labour who will no doubt find that it will open the door for a Lib Dem victory.
U-turn on Asbos?
• ANY expert guidance to counter crime cannot be sniffed at.
So, at first glance, the decision by the council to bring in academics, members of other police forces, and advisors from other councils to help deal with bad behaviour, sounds like a good idea (See page 1).
But we cannot help wondering whether it’s a bit over the top. Moreover, Councillor Roger Robinson may be on the right tack when he says it’s more important to get good feedback from local people.
Admittedly, public meetings are to be held on the subject.
And that will be to the credit of the Lib Dem/ Tory coalition.
But it may well be that in the future this move will be seen, in retrospect, as the first step in the abandonment by the Lib Dems of their resistance to conventional Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (Asbos) first introduced by the former Labour council.
Before the Lib Dems grasped power they talked down Asbos.
But there are signs that now they can see what is really going on in the streets, they are beginning to realise that perhaps they have been wrong.
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