Mayoral Election Digest: It's All About Transport

Rachel Holdsworth
By Rachel Holdsworth Last edited 96 months ago
Mayoral Election Digest: It's All About Transport

Zac Goldsmith and a train.

Election, election, election. If you can't be bothered to keep up with the various comings and goings, here's our handy round-up of what's happened in the mayoral election this week.

They said what?

Zac and Sadiq have been at daggers drawn over transport. According to Goldsmith, Khan would leave a "£1.9bn black hole in the transport budget" while according to Khan, Goldsmith has "made it clear that he has no interest in making TfL more efficient or innovative". So that's where the level of debate is, people.

This comeback by Khan and Labour's cheeky appropriation of the Tory billboard design is pretty funny, though:

Lib Dem Caroline Pidgeon also weighed in on Zac's transport manifesto, calling it "an uncosted wish list". Burn.

Green candidate Sian Berry has said her Renters' Union would help challenge landlords' 'no pets' rules, which led to this excellent photo opportunity:

Both Caroline Pidgeon and Sian Berry will launch their full manifestos in the coming days.

Look, we're not ignoring UKIP. Peter Whittle stands a very good chance of being on the London Assembly come May. But all he seems to have spent the last week doing is talking about how immigration is to blame for all London's woes — which is all he ever seems to do, so there's nothing newsworthy in it — and dissing libraries.

Hear for yourself

It's all well and good us reporting what the candidates are saying, but how about hearing for yourself? Here are details of some hustings you can get involved with.

  • 4 April: the hustings at the Institute of Civil Engineers is invite only but you can watch candidates from the five main parties live online from 6.30pm
  • 11 April: The Secombe theatre in Sutton is the venue for South West London Question Time. We know Zac Goldsmith and Sian Berry are attending; the others have been invited. Tickets are £7.50, all profits go to Love Kingston and it starts at 7.15pm

There are others, but details of public access are currently sketchy. Stay tuned.

There was a debate about rent last week, attended by Sian Berry and representatives of the other candidates. It was a good discussion — possibly because of the absence of the frontrunners, which meant we got substance rather than soundbites and insults. If you couldn't get there (and it was tipping down with rain that night) we'll be bringing you the video soon.

Elsewhere on Londonist

Transport expert Christian Wolmar, who wanted to be Labour's mayoral nominee, assessed Zac and Sadiq's transport policies and found them lacking in ambition.

We spoke to Women's Equality Party candidate Sophie Walker, and spent time daydreaming about what London could have been like if Jeremy Corbyn had run for mayor instead of Labour leader. If you want to know who is running, we have the final official list of candidates.

We also considered the Tory claim that Sadiq and Corbyn are best buds, and found it to be a massive stinking crapheap.

Last Updated 03 April 2016

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