Mayoral Election Question Time

Mayoral Election Question Time Friends House, Euston Tuesday 21 February 2012

Can I ask that you will all be kind enough to switch off mobile phones? Good afternoon everyone, my name is Glyn Kyle, and I am proud to be the chair of Age UK London. I would like to welcome you all to the mayoral election question time, which is organised by Age UK London and colleagues and friends at the Greater London forum for older people. Older people are much stronger when we work together, and I would like to thank every one of you for coming today, because you represent up to 2m older people across the city, who are eligible for mayor of London and London Assembly elections. May I invite you all to thank for the interest they are showing in the wishes and needs of London's older people, the 3 leading mayoral candidates, Boris Johnson, Ken Livingstone and Brian Paddick. Given my various disabilities both the candidates and you all will be pleased to hear this event will be chaired by the Chief Executive of Age UK London, Samantha Mauger: SAMANTHA MAUGER: Thank you very much, and we are very pleased to have such an audience of very enthusiastic older people who I think are going to ask our candidates lots of very challenging questions. I have to go through some housekeeping arrangements, so first of all the fire procedures. As the fire alarm in this building is tested at 8.30 every Friday, if the alarm sounds at any time it is not a test. On hearing the alarm you must leave the building immediately via the nearest exit, the fire assembly point is outside. Do not under any circumstances use the lift. Even if the fire alarm ceases to sound you must continue to exit the building and remain at the assembly point and do not reenter unless directed to do so. Anyone who is with restricted mobility who is unable to negotiate the stairs should remain in the central landing area. There is a loop system, so hopefully those of you that require the loop system can all hear properly. In terms of toilets, the toilets are through the doors on my left, down the corridor, across the landing, where you will also find the lift. As Linda said, we would very much like you to make sure that your laptops are turned off, and if there is anyone who doesn't want their photo taken, can they please indicate to the photographers here. (laughter) The first thing we will do is have a short presentation on the main points of the older person manifesto, it is in your delegate pack so none of you have to take any notes and all of the candidates attending have seen it in advance, it is your manifesto, it has been put together with your thoughts and your views and your issues so I'm going to pass over to Gordon Deuchars to take us through the manifesto. You will then have a short introduction from each of the 3 candidates and then have the opportunity to put questions to the candidates.

[Slot in Natalie's first turn]

Samantha Mauger: Thank you very much, Gordon. What I would like to do now is ask our 3 candidates to give a brief introductory statement, no longer than 5 minutes, please, so we have plenty of time for questions and answers. I will ask candidates in alphabetical order to give. So if we could start with Mr Boris Johnson....

The Mayor: Thank you very much, good afternoon. It is lovely to see you. I wanted to begin by congratulating Age UK very much on securing this distressingly familiar panel! Some of you may think you are the victims of a groundhog day style nightmare, and that you drifted off during the last Age UK hustings that took place 4 years ago between Ken and me and Brian and you have now woken up to find that Ken and Brian have still got to speak! (laughter) I want to reassure you that in the last 4 years, things have changed and City Hall is radically different, with respect to my friends on my left, considerably letter. You have an administration that kept its promises to people of London because we are doing absolutely everything in our power and will do everything in our power to help Londoners through the toughest times in recent memory. You weren't dreaming 4 years ago I said I would bear down on your council tax, we froze it every single year, cut it in real terms, and we stopped the madness that saw bills going up by 964 pounds for a band D household during the lifetime of the previous mayoralty. We said we would bring forward ambitious plans to help people insulate their homes and we have now done 45,000 homes across London, costing on average 180 pounds per household and we are going to do a huge amount more. I said that I would deliver do you remember, we brought a big card and I said I would deliver a 24 hour freedom pass to help older people (applause) get to work, help older people get to work, to stay in work, because in tough times when people are facing a squeeze on their incomes and pensions and when being asked to work longer, it is right that we help them in any way that we can. And that is why we are announcing today that we won't accept the attempts by the previous Labour Government to erode the freedom pass and we will keep it at 60! We will keep it at 60 as I promised Londoners in 2008, and we are confident that we can fund the modest cost because we are making the vital savings that the economic climate demands. With every due respect to my predecessor, we cannot go back to the culture of waste of the previous regime which was so out of touch with real life that they spent 37,000 pounds on firstclass tickets to see Fidel Castro in Havana, 10,000 pounds on a subscription from City Hall to the Morning Star, 34 million pounds on plans for a tram that had not a chance of being the built. We made billions of savings in TfL and we are putting the money where it counts. By this May there will be roughly 1,000 more police officers on the street than there were when I was elected. The overall crime rate is down by more than 10 per cent and it is not just that bus crime is down by more than thirty per cent, we have shown young people that their right to free travel comes with a responsibility to others in the bus. Yes? And more than 2,500 have had to earn their travel back after they misbehaved by doing something useful in the community. It is by sensible management of Londoners' money that we are able to make the investments in the future that will drive jobs and growth. We are not satisfied with having built a record 50,000 new affordable homes for Londoners who find it hard to get on the housing ladder. We are going to do another 55,000, we aren't just putting in Crossrail to revolutionise transport in our city, we will put in Crossrail 2 as well, we will continue with the modernising and upgrading and expansion of the tube in a way that I fear is beyond any candidate who is effectively the tool of the RMT and union. It is only by modernising and investing that you can cut costs and reduce fares. We have the support of the government for the station of the northern line, for new river crossing. And we will go on with a programme to improve the quality of life for everyone in our city. We have planted 50,000 trees already, we will do even more. Across London, a programme of upgrading parks, improving town centres and urban realm across London and we are going to expand the bike hire scheme when the bankers stump up more money for it! As I am sure they will... and yes, I am proud that this month there is going to be arriving on our streets a new bus for London, built with cutting edge British technology, the cleanest greenest bus in the whole of Europe not only will cut fare evasion, 8 million quid’s worth of fare evasion on the bendy buses, but will bring back conductors to our buses, and why not? And why not, why not bring back conductors? That is a promise made by the previous mayor, and I not only keep my promises, I keep some of the ones that you failed to keep! (laughter). We will get on with those investments as I believe it is those investments and that programme of improvement in the quality of life for people in London that will drive jobs and growth for generations to come. And yes I want to get on and work with business, with the private sector, to get the maximum possible benefit for London from the Olympics and from this fantastic year! It has been a most enormous privilege to be your mayor over the last 4 years, and of course I have learned a great deal and it is because I have learned so much over the last 4 years that I believe I and my team are ready to deliver even moreover the next 4 years and take London forward in the right direction. Thank you very much. [applause]. Ken Livingstone: Thank you very much. Thank you very much, I think the central issue of the election is most on the side of ordinary Londoners, particularly older Londoners who are feeling a terrible squeeze. We are being squeezed through higher fuel bills and fixed income so I want to set out 3 pledges to you today. First, is to recognise that over an average winter and certainly last winter, over 2000 older Londoners died prematurely, because of cold. And that cannot go on. ... Died prematurely because of the cold and that I believe cannot go on. Under Boris, London lost out £400 million of funding for home in insulation which was available to London but was not claimed and went to other areas, and the promise that Boris made 4 years ago before you was to insulate 200,000 homes. I am glad he has done over 40,000 but that is getting rid of half of the staff working on and environmental team didn't help that. Hundreds of thousands of Londoners are paying energy bills than they need to. I will call an immediate meeting of all the major domestic suppliers to provide and ensure that we get the maximum benefit from the insulation money on the table and do that, press ahead at get as many homes insulated as we possibly can. Where that happens, you end up saving at least £150 a year on your energy bill. So London deserves to get its fair share of that insulation and that would help out particularly those pensioners who are struggling with energy prices which have gone up unbelievably so much more than inflation. They go up every time the oil price comes down but they never seem to come down as much when the oil price comes down again. I also sent up the first London energy purchasing co operative. Something happening in the west Midlands and in Belgium and some American cities. The Mayors office or TfL will become a bulk purchaser of energy the key to that is this. The biggest buyer of energy in this city is transport of for London and they are charged what they are as individual consumers and so we can increase their purchase and sell it on to you. All you will have to do is as you do when you change an energy supplier at the moment, sign a sheet of paper, you bills will come down by once again at least £150 a year. That is something I think we need to do if other cities are doing it we should get on to that as well. I will protect the freedom pass. I remember once coming here and saying I will match every pledge to make it 24, 7, I pledged that we would make it 24, 7 on the over ground trains as well I am tired of south Londoners missing out because they don't have the tube going down there I am delighted that Boris has decided it is a problem that I have increased the age at which you get the freedom pass from 60 to 66, but what protest did Boris make as the 2011 pension bill was going through Parliament that increased that age? I would have thought line by line I would have worked with labour MPs fighting to amend that I would have challenged if the in court. It is no good Boris coming along and saying I will do this now. We have had 60 year olds turning up at their local council for their freedom pass saying go away you are not entitled until you are older. It is a bit late to wake up to that. It is quite interesting it is only in the past that this has suddenly become an issue that the Mayor wants to come up. You could have done it while they were changing the law you failed to do so. The first vote I cast the first council meeting ever went to was to introduce free bus travel for pensioners the first meeting we voted to make it mandatory across London. Not just the labour boroughs. When I became leader of the GLC, the Tory people opposed it. Who do you trust to save your freedom pass? I say this when I voted to introduce it, when I was 26 I never thought I would live old enough to get one myself. (laughter). I have an interesting in voting to actually keep that. But the simple fact is that we've got a real problem building up. A lot of councils are privately complaining about the cost of the freedom pass. Because they pay for every single journey we make. And the reason the price is going up is because this Mayor has increased fares by 25% and since he was elected. I don't recall Boris standing here 4 years ago vote for me I will increase your fares 25%. 2 per cent above inflation year by year by year which has forced up the cost for the boroughs. I give this pledge we'll cut the fares on October the 7th the first legal date whatever witch you can do so. I will cut the fares on the buys 11 per cent and fares on the over ground trains by 7 per cent that will bring down the cost for the borough councils that will reduce the pressure that they after under to actually start to reign in freedom pass. Why haven't we done more and been more innovative in all this. That is o because I think Boris has other things on his plate. (laughter). for me I give this pledge, the only job I will do if you vote for me is be your Mayor. And yet Boris has decided to have another job through the last 4 years working for the Daily Telegraph for which he is paid one quarter of a million a year. Boris has earned a million pounds from the Daily Telegraph and it seems to me, £140,000 a year for Mayor I got by on that and I had no trouble whatsoever. If you can't live on £140,000 you must have a very interesting lifestyle (laughter). When Boris was challenged about this on the BBC he said oh that's chicken feed. I think we need a Mayor who understands what it is like to try and live in a city where on average everything costs 39 per cent more to live in this city than living in Manchester or Glasgow. So I give you this pledge. That I will only do the job of Mayor and I have got it written here, the job of Mayor one of the most important in British public life, a full time job that requires the full attention whoever holds the post. If I am elected Mayor I will pledge I will be a full time Mayor and I will have no other jobs, the full time, I have left a space for you to sign, Boris. (applause). laughter). SAMANTHA MAUGER: Okay. Quiet please. Quiet please. Quiet. Please. Quiet. Right. We now have our final candidate to have a short statement from. Again I will be very pleased if you could leave it to 5 minutes so we've got plenty of opportunities for questions from people. Mr Brian Paddick. Liberal democrat candidate. BRIAN PADDICK: Good afternoon. Thank you so much for inviting us to come along and speak. You know, I spent 30 years serving Londoners as a police officer. Not like, like the young lady in the front row there who was also in the police so she has told me. Not just talking about issues like politicians and journalists do but actually doing something about it. For me, issues of crime and safety, the cost of living, public transport, these are personal. Personal to me. Not just because I am a Londoner and I live in London and I rely on these services but I have, but it is a very much concern to my secret agent on older people's issues. I have somebody who gives me daily briefings on the sorts of concerns that people like us have and that is my 92 year old mother who lives in Sutton. Believe me, she tells me what the issues are and she let's we know exactly what it is that the problems are that she's facing. But, of course, I am going to join her and join you in the older people age group. I am now the proud owner ever of my saga credit card here it is. I have tennis elbow even though I don't play tennis. At the ripe old age of 53 I am definitely moving into the older people age group. I want it to be a time where we enjoy ourselves, a time when people can look forward to being older rather than being concerned about things. And for all of those reasons, and because it is so important, because it is the fastest growing age group in London that is why I am going to have a deputy Mayor for older people so that we have somebody at the top of City Hall who focuses exclusively on older people issues. My Mum would not go out for weeks after the riots that happened last August. She was too scared. Her biggest issue is confidence and her biggest problem is the danger of her becoming isolated in her own home, afraid to go out. You know, my Mum's 89 year old friend who lives in a block of flats across the other side of the road was burgled last week, 3 blokes claiming to be police officers, 2 kept him talking while the third one stole money from the bedroom. She's worried. She should be because burglary is going up all across London. Yet the current Mayor allowed police officer numbers in London to drop by 1700. (as applause)... I will put the 1700 officers back. All of them not just the 700 that Boris Johnson is promising to put back. But I am not going to do it in the way that again did when he was Mayor. He increased significantly the number of police officers, but he doubled our council tax in order to pay for it. The Mayor, pre-September, more than doubled when he was Mayor. We can't afford that sort of thing any more. London liberal democrats put forward and alternative budget a few weeks ago at City Hall where we could maintain police numbers and still reduce council tax. Reduce it even more than the current Mayor is pledging, 4 per cent reduction instead of the one per cent that the current Mayor is saying he can deliver. But of course it is not just about police numbers. It is about the way that the, those officers are used. Which is why I want to see more town centre patrols. Not just town centre patrols at one o'clock on a Saturday morning when the lager louts fall out of the pub. We want police officers visible in town centres at one o'clock on a Wednesday afternoon when you and I are about. Of course, we get scare mongering as we just heard every 4 years about the freedom pass. Let me tell you, none of us are going to touch your freedom pass. But you do have to be very careful about what politicians tell you. Boris Johnson 4 years ago said that you would be able to use your freedom pass any time you like on British rail and you still can't do that. If I become Mayor, you will be able to do that. Why trust me and not the others? Because I spent the last 35 years as a police officer, in the public eye, telling the truth, building up a reputation for actually saying it how it is and I am not going to throw away that reputation now. I maybe only 53, but I am a bit old fashioned. I get from my father who used to be a major in the Royal tank regiment during the second world war and from my Mum who I say is 92 and who carries on no matter what challenges are put in her way. I would rather be honest with you and lose your vote than deceive you and win the election. No matter what the polls say maybe that will be a reason why you decide to vote for me and not for these other 2. (laughter). of course, giving up is not an option. That is what my Mum says and my Mum is usually right. (laughter). applause). Samantha Mauger. We now have the opportunity to ask our candidates some questions. We are going to divide this period of time into 4, with the focus on each particular issue, we have one question that has been sent in in advance, and I will be asking that person to read it, and we will be asking for 2 others from the floor in each section. If we get through those sections there will be opportunities for more questions. What I want you to do is be brief with your question, please. No speeches, very succinct and we will ask the candidates to give succinct answers. I would like to start off with asking Jeanette Leigh from Wandsworth to ask her question. FROM THE FLOOR: I don't think I can shout... Hello, the first part of my question is addressed to the mayor. I would like to know what you have done for women since you were elected; and the second part of my question is addressed to all 3 candidates. As mayor of London what would you do for older women? CHAIR: 2 more questions in this question which is focusing on stereotyping and diversity. In other words, celebrating the richness of older people in London. 2 more questions please. That lady there and that gentleman at the back. FROM THE FLOOR: The speakers this morning concentrated on the quality of life and I believe that the quality of life depends on equal opportunities and equal life chances for all. I would like the panel to tell me what they plan to do to challenge and to tackle negative perceptions and inequalities which exist amongst London's older diverse communities. FROM THE FLOOR: I'm concerned about do I need it? I am concerned about parks, green space and security for the elderly in such places. We have a safer parks award at the moment, which has been just brought in. I live in Harrow and we have won 3. Is this going to be continued, because if old people can go into parks and wander in open spaces and sit down on a bench, that is fantastic and it is very good for security. CHAIR: One more question, because this is a section on stereotyping. FROM THE FLOOR: I have grave concerns about development of older people in London. It is the councils that have closed down they have nowhere to go and spend their time. There are a lot of housebound people and people who have missed out on services because of the advanced criteria established by the council. What do we do about the growing population of elderly people? I think a long-term strategy should be looked at. CHAIR: Candidates, we have got several issues. What are you going to do to support older women? How are you going to challenge negative perceptions of older people? Many training parks and green spaces and supporting people who are old and have nowhere to go because their facilities are closing. Can I start with you, Mr Brian Paddick first? BRIAN PADDICK: In terms of older women, clearly, safety has to be I think the primary issue facing older women. And as I said before, it is the issue of being afraid to go out, so absolutely, safety is the paramount issue and what have we seen going on as far as safety is concerned in London? We have seen safer neighbourhood teams, which I think most people see as a great innovation in London. Safer neighbourhood teams are losing half the number of sergeants under the current mayor, there will only be one sergeant for every 2 teams; there is also an employment cap on the number of PCSOs, if you lose a police community support officer from your safer neighbourhood team, they will not be replaced because there is a block on any further recruitment of police community support officers. We have got to make sure that these local teams are there. Now this applies, you know, as much as to the question on green spaces. It is that visible deterrent, that visible reassurance of having these safer neighbourhood teams that makes all the difference to the confidence of people, particularly older women, like my Mum, it is knowing that it is safe to go out that gives individuals older people freedom. So, that is absolutely crucial. In terms of negative perceptions FROM THE FLOOR: And inequality. BRIAN PADDICK: And inequalities, it is, I have a track record of being a champion of diversity. I was the police commander in Brixton, for example, and somebody who Ken Livingstone knows well has said that nobody trusted the police until I became the police commander in Brixton, so I am very positive on those issues, and I will make sure that my Deputy Mayor for older people takes into account not only the needs of older people, but diverse people within the older community, because everybody's needs are different. People, politicians acknowledge that people from different communities and different backgrounds normally need different services or a different approach, but it is equally applicable when it comes to older people. So we have to make sure that that is done. And as far as older people centres are concerned, it is the fastest growing group in London age group in London is the 50 plus. 1.8 million of which I'm one. We have to; the Mayor has to put pressure on local authorities to make sure that things like day centres for the elderly remain open (Hear! Hear!). CHAIR: Thank you. Mr Johnson, please. THE MAYOR: Thank you very much. I want to go directly to the first question about what have we done for women, and I point out that when we came to power in 2008 there was only one rape crisis centre in the whole of London. We multiplied that by 4 and that I think was something that had been neglected in the city and I'm very proud of that. I'm also proud of the large number of senior officials in my organisation and in TfL who are female and we are leading the way I think in London in that respect. As for diversity, and the importance of champions and I pay tribute to my own Deputy Mayor for older people, who Richard Barnes, he seems to have vanished he has done a fantastic body of work of promoting diversity across London and I pay tribute to Richard and his continuous programme of engagement in that matter. Priority parks are safer parks. It is a great scheme. We set it up, it is working well, I remember coming up to Harrow and seeing the parks, they are fantastic! Parks are a huge part of the quality of life in our city. People love their green spaces, they want them to be safe and it is absolutely vital we ensure they are. Can I try and defuse a bit of, it is of course true that there are areas where we need to do better and yes, I do want to see a greater reduction in burglary than the one we have achieved we have achieved a reduction, if not as big as it should be. BRIAN PADDICK: It is going up now, though. CHAIR: Let Mr Johnson finish. THE MAYOR: It has gone down over my mayoralty, it is lower than it was when this gentleman was in power, which is the important thing but I would point out to you that the murder rate which you can't fudge and it is important, going to the gentleman over there, an indicator of people's sense of security, the murder rate is down by 25 per cent in 4 years. Now that shows that London is becoming one of the safest big cities on earth and we are going to push that forward. We are going to push that forward by making the savings in our budget that enable to us put officers out on the frontline, and Brian makes a point about police numbers, and says that they have come down off their peak in 2010 and 9, but they are still a thousand up than when I came in. We will keep driving the numbers up, I will keep the safer neighbourhood team in every ward and we will make the city ever safer. So finally on older people's sense of isolation and exclusion, team London is there to mobilise older people and young people and bring the generations together, particularly over IT. We want young people who understand how to turn the TV on to volunteer through Team London and they are to come and help isolated excluded older people to understand the IT, Internet and the stuff we all have to work with today. KEN LIVINGSTONE: Can I say I agree with the point Brian made, it is important to restore all the cuts in policing, because Nick Ferrari, not a closet lefty if you listen to him on LBC, managed to pin Boris down last month for admitting over the last few years 1,700 police posts have been left vacant and what is perhaps most appalling is if you were to say to Londoners: Who are the police you least want to see their jobs cut, it is the neighbourhood sergeants on patrol! And they have been cut in every borough. The sergeants with the real experience, spending 80 per cent of their time, you have cut them. THE MAYOR: Who got more out there? KEN LIVINGSTONE: This isn't the Bullingdon Club, you can't keep interrupting. We have to restore the police cuts and like Brian I will do that. People are not going to feel safe in the park if there are not officers patrolling those parks, it is absolutely crucial. Then the question what we will do for older women? If you come to my campaign activities down at Victoria you will be amazed at the mix of pensioners and youngsters still in school or working because they love the city and want to see it do better. One of the key players there, one of my key advisors is a pensioner woman herself, she will come with me to City Hall and she will be there constantly putting the case for pensioners and other groups, and on this question of stereotypes, now that I am 66 myself, I of course have experience of this. Let's remember what people said when I was selected as the labour candidate. The Deputy Mayor Kit Malthouse said "Choosing to exhume Ken Livingstone is an odd decision, he is a game old boy!" and what did Boris say? "They brought Voldemol out from his lair." We were told [inaudible] the age of Mr Livingstone will work to their advantage. Well, Mr Barnes, who you have seen, says I am an old re-tread anyway. I think all pensioners should have ambition. I don't know why I'm being attacked. Here is the government saying we should all work later, I am trying to do my bit! (laughter). (applause). CHAIR: Now we are going to go on to one of the areas that is closest to peoples hearts, and that is transport. We have had a lot from our candidates so far, we have one prepared question from Bridget Bailey, have we got that person here? Could you ask your question please? FROM THE FLOOR: Thank you. Thank you chair. To the panel, older people have problems on public transport, particularly on the buses. And this is partly due to the size of buggies, prams, and luggage. And they have increased in recent years, to the point where these items now completely block the aisles on public transport. As mayor of London, can you tell us, please, what you will do to regulate this? CHAIR: 2 other questions round transport. Another one here. FROM THE FLOOR: When I was a kid I remember I went into a shop to get in the elevator and there would be an attendant opening and shutting the gates and saying which floor you go up to. You don't need that; there have been no accidents since lift attendants were abandoned. Can the same be applied to the tube drivers? Many tube systems in other countries work very well without tube drivers, it is completely unnecessary expense. FROM THE FLOOR: Good afternoon. What plans are there to introduce lifts to underground stations? (applause). They are very.... They are very difficult for wheelchairs and parents with prams. CHAIR: So we have got dealing with buggies and prams and luggage on buses; could we do without tube drivers? I would like to start with Mr Johnson. THE MAYOR: The answer on buggies is that every driver is under strict instructions to be as helpful as possible to all passengers who have need of one kind or another and I know that some people do get frustrated, but all our buses are meant to be completely accessible, and certainly the new bus that is coming in will be the most accessible of any bus on the streets. But if you have a particular route or particular problem with inability to get on the bus because of a buggy, and then let us know where the problem is occurring and we will see what we can to sort it out with driver. On the matter of tube drivers, it is true that we are making fantastic progress in modernising the tube, and I think by 2014 there will be a capacity that we will be able effectively to have an automated system with about 40 per cent of the line. I agree with you completely, I think that is the way we should be going, we should be going to a much more automated system. What I doubt is that my dear colleague, or comrade I should say, emanating as he does from the bowels of the union movement, will be able to work with LU to deliver that, because it is, there is no sense, there is places like Singapore can do it, we should be able to do it as well. On the point about lifts, yes, absolutely, we do want to go ahead with a programme of installing as many lifts as possible in London underground stations. What I can't do is simply magic up all the money that is necessary to do that overnight, the lift in Green Park, cost 94 million pounds, to put in one lift. I appreciate this is something that we have considerably expanded the number of new lifts, but you can't do them all at once, and I would say to people who do promise that they can cut fares massively and put in new lifts all over, where is the money coming from? Where is the money coming from? Ken, tell us where the money is coming from. You have told us all about your fares cut, tell us now where is the money coming from to fund that unaffordable promise. CHAIR: Thank you very much. KEN LIVINGSTONE: Quite simply, you increased fares so much we have the highest fares in the world, you increased them so much that up until the first 9 months of this financial year you have over 300 million pounds surplus above what you need. THE MAYOR: Rubbish! KEN LIVINGSTONE: I'm talking about putting that back in peoples pocket's like Ed Milliband wants a cut in VAT. What is that fares cut costing? 3 per cent of the total TfL budget; you have a 9 billionpound budget, if you can't find the efficiencies.... THE MAYOR: Tell us where it is coming from. KEN LIVINGSTONE: By cutting out the waste. You have not paid attention because you are too busy writing your column for the Daily Telegraph. The other thing you get, whenever you ask about the lifts, oh it cost 94 million at Green Park. Of course a nightmare, centre of London, very expensive to do work there, all the tunnels and everything else, and sewers going through, but to put accessibility, a lift or escalators at the average tube station in zones 3 and 4 and 5 and 6 is about 6m pounds, and every year Boris Johnson has underspent his investment budget and when he got elected, I made a commitment that a third of all tube stations would be accessible by next year. He stopped that; we might just about be at 25 per cent. I will reinstate that, we will get up to that and start putting the disability access capacity into the suburban stations because that is where the greatest number of elderly people have trouble getting round are. Then, the question of tube drivers. The tube drivers, that is fine, if we just built an underground like in Singapore or Shanghai, they are just below the surface like the circle and district line, they are big double tracks in each direction, something goes wrong, you nip down and get people out. We built 150 years ago, it is deep underground, and does anyone want to be on a tube that stops in the stations and not have a driver there to help them? Boris says you are going to have someone. If you are going to have an attendant on the train, why not have them trained so they can bloody well drive it if it breaks down! And then on to the question of prams and buggies. There is a lot of demoralisation by bus drivers, because many of them are seeing their wages cut. We were supposed to have 9,000 buses by now to cope with growing demand, you didn't continue that increase so I am finding, there seems to be bigger gaps, more crowded. We will get ahead, not spending, 8 million pounds you spent to get 5 new routemasters, and we will start by ordinary buses that people can get on, just to relieve the pressure so... THE MAYOR: Bring back the bendy? KEN LIVINGSTONE: No I can't because you sold them all off cheap. BRIAN PADDICK: Can we just nail this thing about Ken Livingstone’s 7 per cent fare cut. Yes there might be 300 million pounds in Transport for London coffers, I visited Transport for London, and I have gone through the figures with them. That is money that is earmarked for capital investment in the future. If you looked at my savings account at the moment, you would think I had a lot of money in there. That is because I know I have a big tax bill coming in July. If I spend the money in my savings account, come July I will be in real trouble. That is what will happen to London if Ken Livingstone reduces the fares. 12 months, 18 months he will run out of money and then have 2 options: Either go to the government who will likely to tell him to go away with a flea in his ear for mismanaging the budget or he will have to massively put up fares afterwards, which is what he did the last time. BRIAN PADDICK: Bridget. It is a real problem, I love bendy buses, there was loads of room for buggies and luggage and they were not any more dangerous to cyclists than other buses but we are where we are. We really do need to do something about it and we need to do something about the fact that the contracts that are let to these private companies who run the buses is based on, is paid for on the basis of the bus gets to the end stop the time that it says on the schedule. I am sorry, but drivers do not pay any attention to the needs of older people, they just shoot off as soon as you have got on the bus. We need it written in to the contract that the drivers look after the passengers, not just that they get to the end stop by the time they come in. As far as the lifts are concerned, you know, it is not a numbers game. It is not a case of "Let's see how many underground stations we can give access to and choose the easiest and cheapest ones to do." We need to prioritise the busiest stations, the stations that you and I want to use for access, and convert those stations first, rather than just doing a tick box exercise, "Oh well we have done a third of stations, that is okay". The fact that hardly anyone uses them doesn't come into the equation, well it should do! As far as tube drivers are concerned, of course we would never send a tube train into a deep tunnel without someone who is capable of taking over the controls in an emergency. But isn't it, if the trains can safely go along the tubes by computer, whatever, isn't it better to have that individual going from carriage to carriage, making sure everyone is safe on the train, rather than stuck up in the front where they can't speak to anyone. [applause] Samantha Mauger: We are going to move on to housing now. We have a question from Gaynor Holland..... FROM THE FLOOR: Good afternoon, I live in Kensington and Chelsea where there was a great deal of private accommodation as well as council accommodation. As mayor of London, what would be your priority for older people? ... Policy for older people 70 plus, who require suitable housing but are finding the rent officer cannot regulate that rent to enable them to stay in in their own homes. THE CHAIR: 2 other questions from the floor. This gentleman here. This lady on the end here. FROM THE FLOOR: This is to the Panel. My name is Carol, ambassador of Southwark carers. I am going to ask the Panel about the Aylesbury estate and other estates. THE CHAIR: Can you make sure it is a question? FROM THE FLOOR: Can I ask you why is it that whether you take down the blocks of some of these big blocks you take them down and you ask us to do a home search to find another place. Where do you think we can get another flat if there are no flats? You know. I mean, my concern is elderly people, where are they going to go, why are you up rooting them from their places when there is nowhere for them to live. THE CHAIR: This gentleman here. FROM THE FLOOR: Ealing. My concern is regarding your south well gas site. THE CHAIR: Has to be a general question about housing please. FROM THE FLOOR: The number of students and refugees living in Ealing, there are aspects of clearly over 100,000 people living who are (inaudible) we the residents in Southall specially are very, very over crowded are there are unlimited number of out houses which are meant for storage and that something and there are people living 20 to one small hut at the back of the garden. Are driving slaves, amongst our workforce and making them live in a poverty area. This policy reflects the older communal, the words, I can't out of excitement I can't say, not very friendly. THE CHAIR: Thank you very much. FROM THE FLOOR: So I leave it to your imagination. (laughter). THE CHAIR: I think we've got 3 main issues there. One about how you can ensure people's rent is regulated so they can stay in their own homes. Where people go when their homes are knocked down when they have to do a home search and there does not seem to be much there. And over crowding issues. I would like to start off KEN LIVINGSTONE: The tragedy goes back 30 years to Margaret thatcher stopping the building of council houses it is the biggest disagreement I had with Tony Blair save the war in Iran. We are seeing ministers tell elderly and poor people that you can't afford to live in this area any more. The reason the rents have gone up because we haven't got the housing supply. We used to build thousands in the 50s and 60s that came to an end. Now we have a crisis. I identified enough homes to space to build homes. All it should be put into a proper house building programme. Clearly the government is not going to lend anybody the vast sums of money to do that but we have got pension funds that are investing in a sense gambling in stocks and shares and bonds, I would say to pension funds why don't you invest in building and owning housing but the e local housing association can rent., the Lib Demes are pushing exactly that same idea on this government as well. It is completely unacceptable for people who lived all these lives somewhere like Kensington to now be told they can't afford to live there any more. I say quite simply madness to go for a system where whatever the council will charge, we used to have rent controls. They have still got them in New York if you say you can Jack up the rent as much you like and the housing benefit will Jack that up. We used to use that money to build good homes. I believe in building good Holmes and the Mayor should set up a letting agency if you go to Foxtons and you are well off and you want them to rent it out they will sent we will find you a tenant. Tenants turn up and say we want somewhere to run. They do a quick credit charge. They charge 11 page of the year's rent, 11 per cent, and 11 per cent every other e year there should be a Mayors letting agency to bring that cost down dramatically and that is basically as well when we talk about the Aylesbury estate, our problem is that we need a proper mix for homes to rent and homes to build. I am delighted that Boris is saying he is going to build 55 homes when if he is re-elected. In the last few months he has built 56. So you will have to get your act together on that. THE CHAIR: Thank you Mr Paddick. BRIAN PADDICK: I have to say I agree a lot of what Ken has just said. We need a massive house building programme in London of what used to be called council homes. Now the Mayor now has the power to build like the GLC used to build. And I believe as Ken has suggested that we can get the money from pension funds from the city. Why do I say that? Well, because 60 per cent of the cost of building homes on average in London is because of the cost of the land. Well a lot of this land that Ken is talking about is owned by the Mayor, it is transport for London land, land that used to be in possession of the London development agency if you lease at a cheap rate, I don't believe in giving land away they don't make it any more but you know if you lease it at a very low rent to people like pension funds, they can build good quality homes that you or I would be happy to live in. At a genuinely affordable rent and still get the similar sorts of returns that they would get if they built yet another west field shopping centre which of course we don't really need. So the whole thing is about the whole thing is about supply and I am afraid I am unashamedly coming out rather more left than ken here I think it is social housing that we need to put the emphasis on. Not necessarily mixed housing. We are not talking about the sort of estates like the one that you mentioned which is part past is sell by date I know you need somewhere else to move to but it is something that needs to be changed I am talking about estates where you have a mixture of young professional people who can't afford to buy their own homes, people perhaps who were unemployed, living together in an estate that as I say anybody will be happy to live in. There is one very similar to that which is close to where the Earls court development is where the Earls court exhibitions are and the tory council wanted it pulled down. It is an example, it has got some houses low rise blocks and tower blocks, everybody is very happy there. That is the sort of estate I want to see built the Mayor has the power to do it and I think the city will come up with the money to pay for it. THE CHAIR: Mr Johnson. THE MAYOR: I am grateful for ken advertising our achievements which is the basic answer to all 3 of the questions we need more homes in our city and if you look at the last 4 years we have been unbelievably successful in spite of the downturn, in spite of the credit crunch in spite of the worst financial conditions for 40 years in building more new homes for people in this city. And that is 50,000 over the period of my Mayoralty. Nobody said it could be done when the credit crunch set in and we have it and we will go on we will deliver another 55,000 affordable homes. By the way, these will be homes that will conform to new space standards that we have brought in and were complete neglected by the previous administration who built loads of rabbit hutch high rise housing particularly in people's back gardens in outer London we have brought in new space standards for family size homes and ken I am not going to take any lessons from you about waste and this, this afternoon alone you have set up or pledged to set up 2 whole new gigantic bureaucracies, one your energy agency, Ken Ron, which you are going to set up (laughter). Heaven knows how that is supposed to work. Now you are setting up a lettings agency as well. Now, you know my, what you are, it is no wonder that under you council tax went up £964 for a household in band D. You are a massive profligate waster of money. THE CHAIR: We are going to move on to a section that will embrace all the other issues that people want to ask. I am going to start off with Sudan Shu. Are you here? Here in the front please. FROM THE FLOOR: Hello my name is Sudan Shu singer. I am from? In the Camden. My question is about care needs, especially social care needs. The population is growing. (inaudible) and the needs are growing with that. Now the government is likely to publish its white paper and update on the expenses in spring. There is a huge pressure on the level of unmet need, social care services in London, do you agree that it's essential for the government, that the government to sign up to the implementing the (inaudible) on funding when the white paper is published. THE CHAIR: Thank you very much. FROM THE FLOOR: There is another part of that question. Do you also agree that we have to put, stop to older people having to sell their homes to receive even the most basic care. THE CHAIR: Thank you. FROM THE FLOOR: Here, here! THE CHAIR: A really crucial issue. Is there somebody that can ask a question also about the issue relating to employment support? Employment a support and older people. Is there anyone that has a question on that? That gentleman at the back and then if we could have a question which is focusing on active ageing on fitness FROM THE FLOOR: My question is completely different. Boris Johnson, when he started this cycle business, he promised us that it would not cost us any money it would all be paid by Barclays bank. Listening to the news yesterday on radio London is running at ten million short. Is it true that we got to pay the money because you haven't got enough money to run the bicycle scheme and I am not going to call it Boris bicycles? It is London bicycles because we are paying for it. THE CHAIR: Sorry for that on active ageing I was also looking for a question on. NEW SPEAKER: Brian is pointing to me because I have got. No not on employment. THE CHAIR: A question on employment. Do I have a question on employment? That gentleman right at the over there. Employment? At the back? FROM THE FLOOR: Chair I do think you should bring crime into this. FROM THE FLOOR: Mine is a fairly general question. About pensioners. One of the biggest problems you have recognised the importance of pensioners in the next election. By the guess problem you face as a panel is how do you restore the credibility of politicians in this country because at the moment there is a whole lot of us who have loyally supported various parties over our whole lifetime and we have been sailed down the river. What I would like to see is at least somebody saying not only is this, not only are we listening to you we will actually do something about it. At the moment, it is just, didn't realise that, it is meaningless talk until you have that commitment. And Boris until the government is prepared to take on the bloody bankers I have no faith in them. THE CHAIR: We will have one more question on safer streets. NEW SPEAKER: That is what I want to talk about. THE CHAIR: This lady. FROM THE FLOOR: My name is Mavis Hoyle from the London Borough of Harrow. Like Brian, I am an ex-police officer and before I ask my question I need to tell you a few things which are relevant. THE CHAIR: As long as it is short. FROM THE FLOOR: If you did not butt in I could say it. Thank you. I have been going for the last 12 years to the national pensioners’ convention making the same speech and it cu verse great many things that are in this we talked about today about pensioners being undervalued. For your information Samantha 100 years ago this year this country passed a law to protect animals. Children waited until 1933 and domestic violence 1978. When are you going to pass a law to protect older people? We are living longer we are supposed to be leading full lives that is what we have been hearing about today. At 75 years of age with all my police experience before me behind me I should say I am scared to set foot on the bloody streets. When are you going to pass a law to protect us? In several states in America it is a criminal offence for a violation of a person over 65 years of age is imprisonable. I have spoken about more Yanks than Brits about this. THE CHAIR: We have a question on funding for social care. We have a question on cycling, on the continuation of the London cycling bicycles, we have a question on people feeling confident in the credibility of the politicians and I think we have a question of the lady about people feeling safer in their streets in relation to that. I would like start this time with Mr Paddick. BRIAN PADDICK: Thank you very much. Obviously, having social care is so important. It is the thing that is worrying I think more older people than anything else. The ability to stay in your own hem for as long as you possibly can and be looked after in your home, own home is very important. The difficulty at the moment is so little money is being spent on it you get people who turn up, it is a different person every day, they don't stay for long enough, and it is not adequate care. We need to do something about it. It is a time bomb waiting to go off because of the numbers of older people who need that sort of social care increasing. Yes, I do hope that the government will take on the recommendations of the commission and keep as many older people as for as long as possible in their own home. As far as cycle higher is concerned, you are absolutely right. Boris Johnson last time round said it would pay for itself. It is not paying for itself at all. You know, you want to know why the fares are going up so much it is because every time somebody hires a bicycle and they are main mainly people from outside London, even foreigners, you are having to subsidise the bicycles. It is not nonsense Boris. Because I was at TfL last week and that is what they told me. So we have got to get too situation where if you come up with these vanity projects the cable cars across the Thames, new buses and cycles, let's have those schemes when we can ford to do them and at the moment none of us can afford to do that. As far as restoring the credibility of politicians is concerned it was a bit of an eye opener last time round 4 years ago. I was a police officer for over 30 years and I came into the world of politics and one of these 2 gentlemen I said to them after one of these events last time how come you can lie so convincingly and he said how do you think I have been so successful for so long. (laughter). I am not saying which one it was. Mavis it has been shown that when you have laws that enhance the punishment, when you, when the crime is against vulnerable people, that that has an impact on offending. Yes? So that is why there is a law which says if there is a racial element to it the punishment should be more severe and there should be a similar provision for older people. THE CHAIR: Mr Livingston. KEN LIVINGSTONE: Can I say I agree with what Brian was saying about the social. I think we are heading for disaster, this NHS reform, I am part of that generation I have never had to worry about my health I knew whatever happened to me the care would be there free. It is the greatest transformation of the lives of everybody that is in this country and I can't believe after having had the David Cameron promise on TV there will be no top down reform of the NHS, they are pushing this through just at the time they are cutting the budget in real terms, it is going to be a disaster and I believe people are going to die. I beg this government stop this now, no one supports you except the American health companies who think they are going to make a profit out of you (applause). On what are called the Boris bikes, Brian is absolutely right. We were promised by Boris 4 years ago it would not cost a penny. I think it is about 80 million. But the real tragedy of this is the bike shops saw Boris coming. Each of those bikes docking frames is £12,000. Don't talk to me about waste. Literally you divide 6,000, bikes Boris by the £100 million of the cost of that scheme I am sure they did long division at Harrow or Eton, wherever you went, somebody asked about how do you restore confidence. You are absolutely right, politicians are down there with bankers and journalists as the most loathed profession, and I think it is a pretty fair indictment. I have seen, I remember the lie we were told about arms in Iraq and weapons of mass destruction I remember a labour defence secretary saying it may not be necessary for a shot to be fired and you can go over every party, so many politicians, but all I say is look at my record over the 30 years since I became the leader of the GLC. I said the things people didn't want here. I said to Thatcher's government you have to negotiate with the IRA if you want an end to the terrorism. I remember being described as a political pervert when I said we should stop discriminating against lesbian and gay men. I announced this was a wicked (inaudible) I made mistakes. There is no way you can be in politics without making them I don't think you will find I have ever lied to you. I have taken difficult decisions. What I don't do is play with statistics. Boris was just talking about the increase in the council tax. What he did to get to that £900 figure is add 8 years of increases. 80 per cent of the increase in council tax I made was to pay for the extra police I put on the street, the 25,000 policeman I left off, 5,500 clapped out old bosses, we had a 50 per cent increase. I made mistakes, of course, but I have been committed to make life better in the city for everybody and I live a normal life in this city. I use the bus and the tube every day. I live in a normal home in a normal part of the city and I want my kids to have the same opportunities I did. I will make mistakes again, but I will never mislead the city because I love the city and the people in it. (applause). THE CHAIR: Mr Johnson. THE MAYOR: On the issue of care and including older people which is I think you absolutely right, Ken, it is going to be critical issue for our society, I am very very anxious as I was saying just now to make sure that we build the bridge the gap between the generations and get older people, I can't see the person who asked the question, get older people included in our society. One of the things that we are doing through team London is to make sure that those people, those younger people, who have the time to help are helped and are giving the assistance and the encouragement that they need to get in and work with older people and give them the support that they particularly as I say with IT. Someone asked about physical fitness and, we have done more in 4 years than the previous administration did in 8 years on a grass roots sport. We spent 15 and a half million pounds leverage up £30 million on grass roots sport which has reached out 250,000 people. We have set up the whole London ambassadors programme so that people, older people in particular are welcome to join in the run up to the Olympics and huge numbers of people have joined to be the face of London and to be involved in the Games and of course through the LOCOG ambassadors as well. And I would just say about the bike hire scheme, which has been attacked by the gentleman over there and by Brian. THE CHAIR: Let Mr Johnson answer. THE MAYOR: Perhaps I could try and defend it. I think it is a great scheme. I think it works well and I am proud. I think it makes London look and feel fantastic. I think it is a good addition to the city. I am disappointed it seems to attract the hostility of Brian and BRIAN PADDICK: It is very expensive. THE MAYOR: I would ask that respectfully how they would find £50 million in sponsorship which we found by admittedly from a bank, via a reviled bank and how would you find that money when you go around saying you want to hang a banker a week? I don't (laughter) I don't see how that is going to work. I think a tough, the answer I would give you: in tough times you have got to work with private sector to get the sponsorship you need for good things and I think it is a good thing for this city that we have got more than £100 million in private sponsorship, of one thing or another, that is an advantage. On the thing about trust and promises, by the way it wasn't 32,000 police that you, it was KEN LIVINGSTONE: Well up on 25,000. THE MAYOR: Let's stick to accuracy here. And secondly you know I do think it material to this election that you are scheming over this promise of cutting fares by whatever it is and let's be totally candid with everybody. We have been here before. This is Groundhog Day. He said exactly the same in 2003 and 4 and then he whacked them up by a record amount when he got in. I do think that it is an important and material fact that you should not hesitate to repeat. Whenever you have the opportunity. THE CHAIR: We have a very short 5 minutes left. I am going to get 2 more questions. Can I just ask you to put your hands down for one minute. We are going to give everybody the opportunity to ask all your questions by writing them down, putting them on a post it note and giving them back us to. We will ask our candidates if they will commit to answering those questions which we can then give back to you and also post on your website. None of your questions will be lost. THE MAYOR: The lady asked about crime. THE CHAIR: None of your questions will be lost. FROM THE FLOOR: Will they answer truthfully? THE MAYOR: Yes! THE CHAIR: Your post it notes are in the pack. If we could just go for 2 final questions we'll collect all of your other questions and we will get answers back to you. This gentleman here and this. FROM THE FLOOR: Heating please. THE CHAIR: And a heating question. All right. Thank you. FROM THE FLOOR: Johnson asked about the lady wanted to ask about crime. I have been in Westminster and engage in many community things. I say again I live in Westminster, the borough which prides itself setting the trend right across London. I am also deeply involved in police matters. Do you now trust your senior police officers and politicians, my answer is no, and no in both cases. What I am coming to ask the Panel is this safer neighbourhood teams I have heard have been reduced. One of the major causes of crimes, particularly the riots, was in fact stop and search and the affront an offence given to the people. Westminster are now cherry picking who sits on their stop and search committees, yes, Brian I can see your eyebrows went right up to your head. Okay. BRIAN PADDICK: It is a long way. FROM THE FLOOR: My question is quite simply whichever one of you 3 gets in, I know which one I want, will you do something about it because that corruption will spread right across London. THE CHAIR: Yes, and a heating question here. FROM THE FLOOR: Older people's network Croydon. I would like to ask a question about this heating allowance that we used to have before. It has been cut down to £50 per household, the time it is very cold. Another thing we talk about age. THE CHAIR: Your question, sorry? FROM THE FLOOR: At 66, when you are 66 you won't be entitled to this heating allowance either. And soon isn't it. THE CHAIR: Okay. I think the question was, what are you going to do to the heating allowance and the second question is about stop and search and making sure that is done openly and transparently with the correct people. If I can start this time with Mr Johnson. THE MAYOR: Thanks very much. I am afraid on the heating allowance I am not aware of the problem you are describing. If there is something we can do to help then of course we will. I will just point out that the scheme we set up, the Know Your Rights campaign which Richard Barnes was instrumental in doing, has been fantastically effective in helping older people to know what benefits they are entitled to. Very often people don't realise what they can get. There was one couple which got another £10,000 a year that they didn't realise they were entitled to. If you get on to our website and we'll do what we can to help. On stop and search, sir, and your anxieties about Westminster Council, again, let me say I will try and find out what we can do about that and your concerns about the panel. I have to tell you and this audience that I think stop and search is a valuable part of the police repertoire of crime enforcement and law enforcement and it is something that has to be done, it has to be done sensitively, and it has to be done in accordance with the law and with all respect for all communities in London but I think I do think it is of vital importance. It is one of the reasons by way to get to the lady who asked, Mavis who asked about crime, it is one of the reasons that knife crime is down across London and actually the number of youth murders has been cut in half since I have been elected and that matters to me. It is something that is of huge importance in London, and that is why I am going to insist that we keep going with as wide a range of police at their disposal as possible. On crime generally, I think you asked why should I feel safe to go outside in all this. FROM THE FLOOR: To protect the elderly. THE MAYOR: Let me tell you what we have done with protecting elderly people is significant on the buses and the public transport generally, we banned alcohol which was a major inciter of acts of hostility and THE CHAIR: Let Mr Johnson finish, please. THE MAYOR: It was the right thing to do and maybe there are some people who still break the law, but overall tube crime is down 20 per cent. We now have the safest metro system, the safest tube network system anywhere in Europe. That is a very considerable achievement, and crime on buses is down 20 per cent and overall crime is down more than 10%. That is something worth fighting for and we have kept every single one of the safer neighbourhood teams. Those are the things we are doing. London is a safe city. Believe me, you should feel safe in it. It is much safer than comparable cities. THE CHAIR: Mr Paddick. BRIAN PADDICK: As far as the heating allowance is concerned, we have got to make sure that the people who really need help with the heating really get the money. That is the important thing. We cannot allow people to have to make a choice between whether they eat or whether they keep warm. That is the bottom line. It is a national issue for the national government but it is the job of the Mayor to put pressure on national government and local authorities to make sure that happens. I am very concerned, yes, stop and the search used accurately and used properly, focused on criminals, is a very effective tool and the police must carry on using it, but what must not carry on is that you are 7 times more likely to be stopped and search if you are black than if you are white. FROM THE FLOOR: Yes! BRIAN PADDICK: And the police I'm afraid have a policy of cover up rather than own up when it comes to these sorts of issues and we have got to make the police more transparent. THE CHAIR: Thank you. Mr Livingstone? KEN LIVINGSTONE: You can play with a lot of statistics about whether crime is up or down but you get a feeling about whether people think it is getting better or worse. All I can do is point you to the figures the Metropolitan Police have issued and Brian may be able to say they are not as reliable as they should be, but what they show is that over the last year robbery against the person is up and homicide which is a wider definition of murder is up, and clearly something has gone wrong. We have had a fall in crime. In my last year in office crime fell 6 per cent. When Brian and Boris and I were in Nick Ferrari's studio and he asked us how much would you cut crime all 3 of us pledged if we didn't cut crime by 6 per cent in this Mayoral term we would not seek re election. Boris, you massively failed to achieve that. You got through 3 police commissioners, you have cut the police, and people see officers going and not being replaced. There is a lot of demoralisation, there is quite a lot of the (inaudible) when we had the bombings in London I was back the next day and I put myself at the front of rebuilding reassurance, uniting communities when we had the riots break out. Why did they break out? Because when the parents of Mark Dugham marched to the police station to see someone the commissioner was not there, the Deputy Mayor was not there, there was no one to see them and that exploded and when they got you from holiday your first response was ... no, if you want to be Mayor of London, you need to be here when it is going wrong, not just the (inaudible). THE CHAIR: We have come to the end of our time for questions. I would like to ask our candidates whether they would commit to answering questions that people want to write, want to write to us we can pass on to you. KEN LIVINGSTONE: We all agree. THE CHAIR: That is wonderful. We will make sure the questions and answers are distributed. We would like to ask all 3 candidates whether you will make old people a priority if you become Mayor. KEN LIVINGSTONE: I have an interest in that! THE CHAIR: I would like to thank all of you, I would like to thank Mr Paddick, Mr Johnson, and Mr Livingstone for coming here to join us today. (applause). And I would like to thank all of you for being such a lively audience. Please could you, can I have just a bit of quiet? A bit of quiet. Could I ask all of you to do 2 other things please? One is for those that care about care, there is a big petition going on about lobbying for change in care. If you could please complete your name and address to add your voice to thousands of older people, please do. It is in your pack. We would also like people to give us an evaluation of today's event. Please let us know how it went. It is in your pack. Please complete your monitoring form. Finally, there is information about the digital switch over scheme in a stall outside. Thank you all of you for taking part. Thank you to the panel. (applause).