Tuesday, June 08, 2010

Ken for Mayor 2012

I got this email this evening - it's a rather good "positive and unifying" message (IMO)  -

"I'm writing to let you know about my decision to run for Labour's nomination to be Mayor of London.

These are going to be tough times for Britain and London. I want to be
mayor for one overriding reason. If I am elected my focus will be to
do everything I can to protect Londoners from the recession and the
effects of the government's policies.

The global economic crisis, a fragile recovery that may go double-dip,
and a government removing billions from the economy and planning cuts
on a scale that Britain has not seen for decades, mean the mayor's priority must be to protect Londoners. These are serious times that require serious politics. I will aim to use every lever to make sure our quality of life is protected and improved. Not a mayor who spends his time defending bankers and instead one who will use Mayoral budgets and powers to protect ordinary Londoners.

My priority will be to protect public services in London, create new jobs, make the streets safer, defend our safer neighbourhood police teams, hold down fares, and build more affordable housing

I launched my campaign last week in Croydon, a borough that has had its share of the sharp end of Boris Johnson's policies, with big bus and tram fare increases and cuts to transport infrastructure plans. My
aim, if selected as Labour's candidate, is to work with Labour in all of London's boroughs to ensure we have the most effective possible campaign to win London back in 2012.

In the last few days since campaigning started we have been able to draw in support from across London and at all levels of the party, including Labour group leaders

Liam Smith (Barking and Dagenham), Catherine West (Islington), Paul Dimoldenberg (Westminster),

Tony Newman (Croydon), Julian Bell (Ealing), Claire Kober (Haringey), and Stephen Cowan

(Hammersmith and Fulham).

The campaign has received strong trade union backing over the weekend, with the support of the GMB General Secretary Paul Kenny.

Tottenham MP David Lammy will chair my campaign, and I have appointed a Young Labour member, Veronica King, as the first of my vice chairs because I am committed to involving Labour's younger members as we work to take back London.

To see more supporters and to find out more about the campaign you can visit: http://www.kenlivingstone.com

Over the coming weeks, if I am shortlisted, I will be debating and discussing the ideas that London needs to take us forward in harder economic times. Some of these are already being set out on my campaign website where you can also contact the campaign team. If you'd like to support my campaign you can become an endorser by using the form at http://www.kenlivingstone.com/contact/

I look forward to listening to what you have to say and to contributing to what I hope will be a really positive and unifying campaign to help Labour build on the borough election victories this year so that we can take back City Hall for progressive politics.

Yours sincerely

Ken Livingstone

(picture from East Ham in 2008 - so far only Ken and Oona are definitely putting themselves forward)

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