ePolitix.com - London mayoral elections

As the official London mayoral election campaign gets underway, we asked MPs from the capital to give their views on the main candidates: Ken Livingstone, Boris Johnson and Brian Paddick.

Tessa Jowell, minister for London and the Olympics and Labour MP for Dulwich and West Norwood

Ken Livingstone gets things done for the city he loves. Over eight years, he has put an extra 10,000 police officers on our streets with another 1,000 planned.

Now, with over £40bn being invested to modernise the tube, improve bus services and build the massive £16bn Crossrail project, it is crucial that Londoners elect a competent mayor who puts London first.

Oxfordshire MP Boris Johnson opposes what London needs - like a well run transport network, tough powers to tackle gun crime, and the 50,000 affordable homes promised by Ken. Boris didn't even bother voting for Crossrail.

Mark Field Conservative MP for Cities of London and Westminster

Eight years of Ken Livingstone have shown him to be a master of self-promotion at colossal expense to Londoners – think political stunts in South America, a personal newspaper funded by the council taxpayer, and the appointments of costly, crony advisers. Whilst the mayor is responsible for emptying not a single bin, cleaning a single street or running a single school, library or social services department, my Westminster constituents now pay over 50 per cent of their council tax on the mayoral precept and spend yet more on his bungled congestion charge.

Boris will give Londoners more bang for their buck, sweeping away bureaucracy, challenging the culture of incivility, reforming the congestion charge, improving transport and making London more affordable. But most importantly, he will end the conspiracy of silence between the Labour mayor and the Labour government whereby London's raw deal on the public services gets the tacit approval of City Hall.

Tom Brake, Liberal Democrat London spokesman and MP for Carshalton and Wallington

What's Ken done? Introduced the congestion charge with the support of only one political party in the Commons – the Liberal Democrats. Failed to meet the commitment he made to cut crime by 50 per cent. Worked against the London boroughs rather than with them.

What would Boris do? Crack better jokes than Ken's and replace bendy buses apparently. What would Brian do? Use the experience he has acquired in his 30 years in the Met to guarantee a reduction in crime of 20 per cent at the end of four years and resign if he didn't.

Nick Raynsford, Labour MP for Greenwich and Woolwich and former minister for London

In the past eight years: London's economy has grown strongly, and the capital has overtaken New York as the world's leading financial centre; transport policy has been transformed with massive investment in new buses, trains and improved underground and DLR services, coupled with action to tackle congestion and emissions; neighbourhood policing has been extended across the capital with record numbers of police officers and crime levels falling; we have successfully bid for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and are well advanced in developing the Olympic sites.

This impressive record of achievement is why Ken Livingstone should be re-elected as mayor.

Simon Hughes, Liberal Democrat MP for North Southwark and Bermondsey and former mayoral candidate

Ken Livingstone originally opposed directly elected mayors, then said he would only do one term. As his second term ends, a tainted London regime is desperately in need of replacement. On reducing crime, building social housing and much else Mr Livingstone has promised much but simply failed to deliver.

Brian Paddick is uniquely competent to become London's mayor. And Brian is seriously better qualified than the Boris-Johnson-come-lately of London politics. The Tory boy may be an amusing candidate. But a moment's reflection must make clear that our capital would be better led by a senior copper than a serial clown.

Karen Buck, Labour MP for Regent's Park and Kensington North

London is a thrilling, challenging, growing, creative and diverse city - in a way that only great cities can be. Ken Livingstone is a Londoner to his toenails, so he understands this a way few other politicians do.

His practical achievements, such as introducing Safer Neighbourhood Teams in every ward, increasing police numbers, taking a bold decision on congestion charging, transforming the bus service, building housing, leading on climate change and winning the Olympics, demonstrate his leadership skills. Such skills are vital, but so too is the deeper commitment to the city, an ability to articulate and speak for its changing moods and priorities.

David Burrowes, Conservative MP for Enfield Southgate

If Ken Livingstone has done one thing for my outer London constituency it is to increase the turnout in the London elections. An increased precept on the council tax bill, poor public transport, police stations closing and a neglected North Circular road give good reasons to kick out Ken.

Boris will focus on what really matters to my constituents - crime and transport. Mayor Boris would provide less PR and grandstanding and more police and safer streets.

Stephen Timms, Labour MP for East Ham and welfare reform minister

London is enjoying its new found pre-eminence among world cities. Ken has been in the forefront of developing a modern and successful persona for London, reflecting in particular the city's extraordinary diversity and exuberance. He was key to winning the Olympic Games for London in 2012, and he has been able to combine effective support for London businesses with attentiveness to the position of those who are least well off - with the recent report of the London Child Poverty Commission a good example.

Lynne Featherstone, Liberal Democrat MP for Hornsey and Wood Green

As all Ken's not so admiral chickens come home to roost, I think Londoners will be seriously considering a change. The alternative they face is a floppy haired cad from Henley who shown little interest up to now in what matters to 'us cockneys' or a fresh faced crime-fighting expert who has drive and flare to restore creditability to the role.

Brian has the genuineness and integrity that will engender trust from London's diverse communities and to represent the city to the world. Ken has always been a bully and dictator in pushing his agenda. With Mayor Paddick, I am confident there would be quite revolution in openness and passion for real partnership to deliver change for a better London.

Harry Cohen, Labour MP for Leyton and Wanstead

Ken's a great strategic planner for London. Witness the Olympics he helped win; the congestion charge to help the environment, with the money used on more buses; more police and neighbourhood safety teams; and pressure on developers and councils for more affordable homes. The Champagne Charlie for the Tories probably could organise a piss up in a brewery, but only the super rich and old Etonians would be invited.

This article originally appeared in The House Magazine

The safety of the capital’s residents, business community and visitors depends on the skill and commitment of the 30,000-plus front line officers who the Metropolitan Police Federation represents professionally.

If the successful mayoral candidate – whoever that may be – seriously wishes to cut crime further, they will profit by listening to these officers, who collectively have a vast wealth of experience and up to the minute knowledge of real-life crime fighting and crime prevention. At present, however, they are more or less ignored.

Senior police managers are represented on the Metropolitan Police Authority. The Federation – with the 30,000 pairs of eyes and ears which its members have watching over the wellbeing of Londoners – is not.

It is scantly consulted either formally or informally. Requests by the Federation for discussions often meet with tiresome prevarication. Authority committees opt for secret session when discussing matters of direct concern to front line officers. The Federation, which represents these officers, is locked out.

The Authority’s stance towards front line police appears to be: “Be quiet – we’re talking about you, not to you.” This is no way to run a police force effectively.

Whoever is sitting in City Hall at the start of the next Mayoral term will find that their criminal justice goals get scored faster and more decisively if they play the Federation in their team.

While canvassing in the last few days it has become obvious that people are switching to Boris in droves. They see that Livingstone has got too close to the wrong people, that traffic is slower than it was 8 years ago, London is no safer than it was and that outer London has been ignored. On the other hand Boris is a breath of fresh air. He represents a force for change. He will be immensely popular around the globe and great ambassador for London. Its going to happen.

Much is made of London being one of the greenest cities in the world. However, relatively little is spent per head on maintaining our most significant green area – the Metropolitan Green Belt.

CPRE would like to see all candidates for Mayor of London:

(1) provide an unequivocal commitment to protect London’s Green Belt and prevent sprawl, to help drive the capital’s renaissance; and

(2) publish details as to how they will set about drawing up a Green Belt strategy in partnership with local communities, the boroughs and the agencies of central government and the neighbouring regions. This strategy should promote local food production, access to the countryside and the protection of biodiversity, balancing opportunities to encourage positive enhancement with the need for responsible bodies to exercise their existing powers.

As part of this effort, it is crucial that the next Mayor and the boroughs ensure that opportunities for development on brownfield sites are taken up. In London, planners are currently missing opportunities to deliver around 60,000 new homes on small sites close to town centres – the equivalent of six Barking Riverside developments – in locations where necessary infrastructure is already in place. CPRE London’s Compact Sustainable Communities Report (available at http://www.cpre.org.uk/filegrab/1compact-sustainable-communities.pdf?ref=2591) sets out how such development can be implemented for lasting public benefit.

The wise use of development land and of our countryside need to go hand in hand if the Mayor is to make London a truly sustainable world city.

Looking at Mark Field's yelling support for Boris, a study of the verbs that the Tory Fopp promises to swarm us with is very revealing. Field's assertion that he will "bang", "sweep" and "challenge" is hugely exciting, while the news that he will also "reform" and "improve" London encourages our sense of maturity and level-headedness greatly. But what will he actually "do"?

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