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Voter apathy could lead to far right on Assembly
• CAN I thank Better Archway Forum for organising an excellent London North East London Assembly candidate hustings session last Wednesday evening. It was good to hear from all the candidates, who set out their stall on why they would be the best choice for representing Islington on the assembly.
One key issue raised was the importance of voting in the elections on May 1 and the threat posed by the BNP, which could gain an assembly seat through the additional party vote.
At the elections, you have three votes: one for the mayor, one for your local Assembly representative and an additional vote for your chosen political party. As well as the elected constituency representatives, seats in the assembly are awarded to parties based on the additional political party votes.
I urge all the people of Islington to come out and vote on May 1.
Regardless of whoever you vote for – Conservative, Labour, Lib Dem, Green or Left List – it is imperative that the BNP don’t gain an assembly seat on the back of apathy and low voter turnout.
RICHARD BUNTING
Deputy chairman, Islington Conservatives
Halliford Street, N1
• IT was charitable of the Tribune to give a full page to the former Labour deputy leader of the Greater London Council so he could write unsurprisingly inaccurate paeans of praise to mayor Ken Livingstone (Is Ken the man to tackle our biggest challenge? April 4).
Your Labour columnist praises Mr Livingstone for his negotiations on Crossrail. But Mr Livingstone has done a spectacularly bad deal for Londoners, who as a result will be liable for all costs if the project overruns, goes over-budget or if land sales and developer contributions fall short.
Mr Livingstone said during the negotiations that an overrun could devastate London’s finances, leading to cuts in funding for the police and other services, a 30 per cent increase in fares or making it necessary to raise council tax by hundreds of pounds.
Given the spiralling costs of the Olympics, can we really trust these Labour politicians to bring a huge project in on-budget?
I really fear that the poor deal negotiated by Mr Livingstone could be devastating for ordinary Londoners.
He is also praised for bringing in the congestion charge. But one of his election pledges is basically to scrap it by turning it into a “green” charge.
This would mean that big luxury cars would be charged more, but 68 types of cars would be totally exempt.
There are 80,000 exempt cars in and around London, which Ken will be encouraging to drive into town. This will certainly increase congestion and worsen the quality of our air.
CLLR STEFAN KASPRZYK
Lib Dem, Junction ward
• ISLINGTON has many reasons to be grateful to Jennette Arnold and Ken Livingstone, standing in the London elections on May 1, not the least being their help in fighting for more affordable housing.
And, while one crime is one too many, Ken’s introduction of Safer Neighbourhoods police teams is the main reason why there has been a drop in crime in London after many years of increases.
However, we have a special reason to thank them here in Holloway. The extension of the 393 bus route along North Road to Chalk Farm was opposed by a coalition of Tories and Lib Dems in Camden.
We only got it through thanks to the efforts of Jennette and Ken.
CLLR BARRY EDWARDS
Labour, Holloway ward
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