Green Issues Kick Off Contest To Be Mayor Of London

It was a unique occasion. All four contenders for the Mayor of London on the same platform answering questions about their plans for the environment.

Sian Berry, the Green candidate, Brian Paddick, for the Liberal Democrats, Labour Mayor Ken Livingstone, the present incumbent, and his Conservative challenger Boris Johnson. Channel Four News anchor Jon Snow chaired the morning, which ran for a riveting hour and three quarters.

To start each candidate was allowed five minutes to outline their environmental policy. Quite rightly the Green's Sian Berry led off and she firmly put the three males in their place when she said, "I can take a guess at what will happen this morning. These men will get up in their suits and agree with me. But do they mean it? Do they get it? Do you really trust them?" What she meant was that the Green ideas have now all been taken up by the main parties but have they actually put them into force? She did believe in free insulation, 20p off all bus fares and tube at off rush hour, and London generating its own power. The Greens also believe in the closing down on the City Airport.

Maybe her rivals are stealing the Empress's clothes.

Because all four candidates combined in what might have seemed revolutionary ideas only a few years back. All four were against any enlargement of Heathrow Airport. They all wanted more trees planted in London. They wanted bottled water banned. How about that? The reason being that they all thought it was a scam, that London water was perfectly alright, and it could be put through a process at home, if you did not like the taste of fluoride. But they all admitted that most of it was being flown halfway around the world to get here, and there was no advantage.

She wanted a more positive approach to re-cycling, and then admitted that she had nowhere to put compost. At least Mayor Livingstone said he was not only against land fill but also against the controversial incinerators.

Livingstone looked very tired throughout the morning, whereas the other contestants were on their toes. It could have been caused by the continual attacks on Livingstone for everything from the way he has allowed the London Development Agency to spend taxpayers money, to his advisor Lee Jasper to other matters. He no longer had the spark he has always had. Boris, in contrast, although originally attacked for not being serious looked really in control. Yes, I would say Boris for London. A bit of a shame because I should be voting Green for Sian Berry. But the trouble with the Greens is that they have had a cosy relationship with Ken. He admits it. Peter Melchett, a top man at the Soil Association asked a question about the 2012 Olympics wanting to know about the provision of organic food and how the main sponsors Coca Cola and McDonalds could be urged to change their ways. Livingstone said that with the backing of the Green members on the Greater London Council this could happen. Everyone else laughed at the reality of big business.

The most hilarious moment of the morning was when Boris Johnson realized that Ken Livingstone did not cycle. Boris cycles everywhere in London. So he offered to give 'Mayor Livingstone', as he called him, free cycle lessons with total discretion. Then he added pointedly to a big clap from the audience, "As a London cyclist he will experience the sheer horror of overtaking a bendy bus."

Boris added that he really did want to champion trees for London. He said he would spend up to £500 a tree. He would fight to keep trees that are threatened by London insurers.

Your correspondent was the only member of the media allowed to ask a question and inevitably it was about allotments, and how the London cross borough waiting list was 400. Top man was Boris backed by the Greens. Even Livingstone said that he would like a change in the law where he had power over the boroughs. They could get rid of allotments that he would not do. Needless to say Boris and Sian wanted more community growing, but ex-copper Paddick went on about stolen veg etc. Vote Sian and Boris if you have the vote.

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