Analysis: London Mayoral Election - Fit to represent young Londoners?
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
On 1 May, the capital votes for its new Mayor. Cathy Wallace looks at what the candidates will do for children and young people.
The starting pistol has fired and the most hotly-contested London Mayoral election since the role was created eight years ago has begun.
Ken Livingstone, gunning for a third term, faces serious competition from the flamboyant Conservative MP Boris Johnson, and Liberal Democrat Brian Paddick, formerly the UK's highest-ranking openly-gay police officer, plus seven other candidates.
Children and young people feature highly in all three manifestos. London has a staggeringly high rate of child poverty and is dogged by news reports of teenage gang crime. But the capital is also a trailblazer for initiatives such as the Childcare Affordability Programme, which provides subsidised childcare to help parents in deprived areas get jobs, and guidance that requires housing developments to include play areas.
According to charities, councils and voluntary groups, the new Mayor will face a raft of challenges during his four-year term. Delroy Pomell, director of Barnardo's London region, says: "Poverty is a daily reality for four in 10 children in London. We need to tackle this." A spokesman for London Councils, the association of the capital's local authorities, agrees: "Tackling child poverty cuts across nearly everything boroughs do in terms of children and young people."
CYP Now found out how the main candidates plan to address these and other problems facing the capital's youth.
KEN LIVINGSTONE
Unlike his competitors, Ken Livingstone was unable to speak to CYP Now at the time of going to press.
National newspapers also claim the Mayor is almost impossible to secure an interview with. His publicity team insists he loves talking to the press but is just too busy running London to fit everyone in.
So what does the Labour Mayor's track record tell us? He's presided over measures to tackle child poverty, such as the Childcare Affordability Programme. He's given under-18s free bus travel and has plans for a student discount on travel passes through his Oyster card scheme.
He also set up a £78m programme for youth centres called the London Youth Offer and has said he will add 1,000 more police in the next year, and continue to cut crime by six per cent a year.
On the spate of teenage murders the city has faced in the last year, the Mayor has said: "We have to bear down on this issue with tough policing and policies to get young people off the streets by giving them safe places to go outside school hours. These crimes will not be reduced by gimmicks but by building on methods that have reduced crime overall."
But has London had enough of the man with many nicknames? Red Ken, Ken Leavingsoon (coined by rival Boris Johnson) - whatever you call him there's no denying he faces a tougher task this time around. However, as London's only Mayor to date, Livingstone has to face a lot of criticism his rivals don't. Come 1 May many voters may choose to stick with the devil they know.
BRIAN PADDICK
Brian Paddick doesn't talk about "kids". He talks about "young people" and he does so earnestly and eloquently.
"Yes, there is a minority who give all young people a bad name. But a lot of it is the right-wing media trying to find someone other than their readers to blame for society's ills."
Despite this, Paddick gives an emphatic 'yes' when asked if London has a problem with gangs, gun and knives. For him the answer is two-part. First, more targeted stop and search. But he warns: "I'm not talking about discriminatory stop and search of young people of a particular colour."
Second, encourage the public to work with police and let them know who is carrying weapons. "There's no point in having one unless other people know you do," he points out.
It makes sense for a former Metropolitan Police officer to have strong views on youth justice and crime. But he also has thoughts on education, health and poverty which, while perhaps not as well formed, seem well intentioned. For example, the idea of care leavers as mentors for children in care. "Has anyone thought of that before?" he asks.
Paddick is keen on the idea of giving young people the benefit of experience - his own and others'. "I was bullied at school because I was gay. I know the effect it can have."
But when pushed on what he would actually do about bullying: "I would need to work with experts currently looking at those issues and see what the Mayor can do."
Paddick is a credible contender and, in his own words: "I'm the Liberal Democrat Mayoral candidate - of course I'm an optimist." But he has been criticised for having a vague policy agenda and that's what might keep him as the outsider in this race.
BORIS JOHNSON
Boris Johnson has tried at least to avoid the gaffes he's famed for. In their place are detailed proposals and a passion for the job of Mayor. Could it be the Tories' self-styled clown has clout after all?
"My number one priority is to make this place as tranquil as it was when I was a kid," he says. "I have brought forward measures on improving safety on public transport and in public spaces. This affects kids and the quality of their lives."
His ideas include more officers on buses and the removal of young people's right to free travel if they behave antisocially on public transport, which they will have to earn back through community service. He also has plans for a Mayor's Fund for groups working with young people.
While there's no doubt Johnson believes this will steer London's young people away from the reality of "growing up without boundaries, respect or any sense of how to achieve something or gain self-esteem", no one could accuse him of going liberal as well as serious.
According to Johnson, safer spaces will require more local investment, leading to less social inequality and child poverty, and more of "the increasing culture of philanthropy".
And finally, a Johnsonism on the benefits of making public transport safer. "What's the biggest problem on London's roads? The crazy, demented school run. People feel apprehensive about the streets. My vision is of a safer London."
Serious Johnson has been leading the polls, suggesting he could have the goods to back up the cult of his personality.
WHAT DOES THE LONDON MAYOR DO?
Role
The role of London Mayor was created in 2000. The Mayor is the directly-elected head of the London-wide government, the Greater London Authority.
Areas of influence
The Mayor can make and influence policies on transport, planning, economic development, housing, police, fire and emergency planning, arts, pollution, health inequalities and climate change.
London Assembly
The London Assembly is an elected body that scrutinises the Mayor and has the power to make proposals and change the Mayor's budget. Its 25 members are elected at the same time as the Mayor.
Strategies
The London Mayor can create city-wide strategies on issues such as youth, health and planning. Recently Ken Livingstone published guidance for councils to make sure play areas are included in new housing developments.
Budget
The Mayor controls a budget of more than £9bn to run transport, police, fire services and promote the city's economy. He or she sets budgets for Transport for London, the fire service, the Met Police and the London Development Agency.
Local involvement
The Mayor has to work with councils to make sure local and city-wide plans do not conflict. Planning permission may be refused for projects not in line with Greater London Authority priorities. - www.london.gov.uk
WHAT YOUNG LONDONERS THINK
"If I was old enough to vote, I would vote for Ken Livingstone. I think Ken has had a direct impact on my life as a young person in London.
Firstly, he introduced the Oyster card ticket system, which I would say has made the lives of all young people in London a whole lot easier and much more interesting.
Ken is also the most able of all the candidates and he has already done a lot for London. Vote for him, not for that clown Boris." - Aakash Bharania, 14, Harrow
"I will be voting in the election but I'm not sure who I will be voting for. I don't want Boris Johnson to get in because of his views on young people. I'll probably vote for Ken Livingstone as I think he's done good things for London so far. I work with the Mayor of London's children and young people's development unit. They are doing a really good job." - Mikki Conoley, 18, Bermondsey
"I'm not really interested in the election. I know the names of the candidates but that's about it. It's not something that people at school really talk about either. I don't know anyone who is really that interested in it." - Sam Laurence, 17, Balham
"I don't actually know what the Mayor of London is." - Emma Tierney, 16, Peckham
"I'm not very interested. Two or three years ago I was involved in action in Peckham to get the voting age lowered to 16. We lost, of course. I probably won't be voting in these elections as I'll be too busy. I haven't even looked at any of the candidates or anything." - Jason Terry, 18, Bermondsey.