We’ve got through the first budget of the new administration. It includes cuts andcontains hints of future larger ones. But it leaves most of the last Mayor’s programme intact. I sense this will not continue. And, oh yes, a little bit of snow paralysed London. Was anyone to blame or was it just ‘one of those things’?

Another Boris Moment (or two)

There have been no big problems with Mayoral Advisers for a change, since my last report. There are however a couple of contentious matters to report.  

First, the problem the Mayor caused at the Police Authority, over the Damian Green affair. The media frenzy has settled and a report has been issued. Labour members do not want a repeat of the ridiculous action under Ken, when he was suspended by the Standards Board (until this was overturned in the courts) but we do want him to acknowledge the foolishness of divulging confidential briefings and opining on sensitive policing matters when he is Chair of the Police Authority. And the report, which needs to be confirmed by the Standards Committee, does conclude that his behaviour was “extraordinary and unwise” and risked being “perceived as furthering private interests”. The evidence also reveals conversations took place between him and David Cameron before he issued his statements. The affair has highlighted his political clumsiness and questions his judgement.

As a footnote to this, bizarrely, I spent about a month over Christmas rebutting a rather thuggish threat by him to sue me over comments I made on television about the matter. I tend to the view that this is a signal that he will use the Civil Courts – that refuge for rich men the world over, some of whom prove to be scoundrels – to attack his opponents when it suits him.

Second, I think it is contentious that our Mayor has leapt to the defence of bankers and financial traders in the current banker led recession. We do need strong financial services in London, and we do need to speak up for the many good and thoughtful people who work diligently to help us manage our lives, build houses, invest in real improvements to our lives, through the domestic banking system. But to defend the casino mentality is I think stretching credibility. There is always a risk in London politics that powerful people will be attracted to and dazzled by those with money – history shows it is a temptation for Labour politicians too – but in my view our civic political leaders should walk that line very carefully.

It is interesting that both of these matters are about judgement on quite serious matters.  Things are settling down since the many incidents of his first 6 months caused by the chaos in his office, and perhaps now we can focus on the politics, not the flim flam. But within the politics there are considerable doubts about the judgement of our Mayor.

The Budget

As reported last time, this is a year of some, relatively modest, cuts, but a year of transition towards more serious changes in direction. As predicted, we saw a freeze in the Council Tax ‘precept’ (only 8% of City Hall income is raised by the precept), which was the headline, and consequential cuts in budgets of organisations and projects funded by City Hall. This budget was substantially Ken’s 2008 budget with ‘tweaks’. We have still heard nothing of the vision that the new Mayor is pursuing, beyond the principle of ‘Value for Money’ and relatively low cost announcements. The reason this is a problem for him is that he needs to make his mark in the first year, and follow it through in the next three, if he is maximise his impact. I suppose, from my perspective, we should be grateful. But there is a sense of drift, for example with the large number of small initiatives but relative modesty and absence of a ‘big picture’ in response to the recession.

The looming pressures are emerging though – on tight budgets, and reduced income to fund new schemes for the suburbs, scrap bendy-buses, squeeze the police budget without cutting police numbers, and others – and will unfold in the next year. I also predict that the Mayoral emphasis on a less interventionist relationship with Boroughs will come under strain as priorities are asserted.

Winter Weather

A couple of weeks ago we saw snowfall paralyse London. Was this an over-reaction? A safety culture gone mad? A failure of leadership? Or just an ‘act of god’? The answer is a bit of each of these. I am tempted to the view that TfL could have done better and that its leadership – both the Commissioner and the Mayor should have reacted quicker, particularly with about a weeks notice. The Assembly Transport Committee will issue its conclusions soon.

Estuary Airport

The Mayor firmly opposes Heathrow expansion, in which he is supported by all party groups at the Assembly, but has then ‘done a wobbler’ with a proposal for a multi-£billion airport in the Thames Estuary. This will not happen without political support from whoever is in Government, and the two main parties, plus the LibDems, all oppose it. It looks like a bit of diversionary kite flying but in reality is more serious than that because it does signal support for far greater airport expansion than even the Government's proposals.

Recession

As previously reported, the Mayor is drawing up an ‘Economic Recovery Action Plan’ and is participating also in a joint group with Government, the City, Trade Unions and others to grapple with some of challenges. Boris Johnson has positioned himself some distance from the Tories nationally, as a sort of Keynesianism albeit one who occasionally lobs in the caveat that he doesn’t really believe in it.  His programme is, as a result, rather modest, although it does include some individual welcome items, such as for training and some support to SMEs.

Low Emission Zone

This policy, to ban or charge high-emission vehicles from Greater London, has been modified to ‘suspend’ implementation of ‘phase 3’, which, the larger vehicles having been covered, would have extended it to smaller commercial vehicles (it would also have affected many charity owned vehicles, and others, such as camper vans). He justified this as a response to the economic situation but a number of us have challenged his apparent disregard for the strong public health driver. The health of Londoners is a matter over which the Mayor is required to have regard.

Olympics and Stratford

Construction at Stratford continues. The stadium is now visible from some distance. The aquarium is rising too. The massive media centre, at Hackney Wick, with an important proposed commercial use in legacy, is about to start construction – and was reprieved after a period of uncertainty about its affordability and location. In addition to the Olympic Park the Westfield Shopping Centre, is taking shape, and will bring many jobs to the A recent concern has arisen about the number of genuine (i.e. long term) local residents securing jobs at the site. This is I think a question that will recur.

Proposals have now been published about the management and form of legacy development in Stratford and around the Park. I will report further on this but recommend you look at the following website www.legacy-now.co.uk if you are interested in understanding more.

East London Transit

This is taking shape in Barking Town Centre, with some local grumpiness and scepticism. The street market at Barking has been resited and new bus roads are being laid out. I think it may weel help to improve the Town Centre, as part of a bigger set of plans, and tend to support the project, although I continue to watch it closely.

DLR extension

More about Dagenham Dock next time, but meanwhile, a new extension has opened – under the Thames from Newham (North Woolwich) to Woolwich. While the extension, started and funded under Mayor Ken, is welcome, since the line opened residents in Newham have suffered from severe overcrowding on the line. I've been pushing TfL and DLR to find urgent solutions, and shuttle services are now running from Blackwall every 7 minutes in the morning peak.  I've also urged DLR to bring forward the reopening of Tower Gateway station to reduce pressure on the line, and this will now happen three months early, in early March.  DLR have now confirmed to me that they will begin a 5minute service during peak times when Tower Gateway reopens.

Weekend rail Closures and other disruption

The reopening of Tower Gateway will take some pressure of the Bank Interchange, whose part closures continue to be a massive inconvenience for people across East London. There has been a further problem recently, as repairs are speeded up for 2012, with on some weekends the Jubilee Line, and much of the DLR and parts of the District Line closed at the same time. I am examining these clashes to see what can be done to reduce the difficulties local people and visitors face. A particular problem has emerged with big exhibitions at Excel, at least three of which this year happen when both the DLR and Jubilee Lines are shut, which can cause chaos.   

Cuts to accessible station programme

Works were previously planned for Mile End and Tower Hill stations to provide step-free access to the platforms but have now been dropped. Targets had been set for 25% of stations step-free by 2010, and Ken had been pursuing pushing this further to 33% by 2012.  This has been scaled back by Boris who has overseen a total of 21 stations being deferred for step-free works. I will be urging Boris and TfL to reconsider their decision and improve accessibility for East London's mobility impaired residents.

Recycling e-survey

Thank you to everyone who took part in my e-survey to inform the London Assembly Environment Committee's scrutiny into "on the go" recycling.  The results demonstrated that people were actively trying to recycle.  There's a lot of confusion about what can and cannot be recycled, and I am pushing for greater consistency.  Please let me know if you would like to join my e-panel.

Bus issues:-

D3 I'm hoping it's good news at last for the D3 Sunday service.  TfL had previously proposed, then delayed, then pulled plans to increase the Sunday frequency.  Since then I asked residents to bombard me with complaints about the service and I in turn have been bombarding TfL.  As a result the current contract is not being renewed and the route is being retendered, and the increased frequency proposal is back on the cards.  If TfL don't u-turn again, we should have a 15 minute daytime Sunday service in Autumn 2009.  Two years late, but better late than never.  I'm of course responding to TfL's proposal with support, and I'm also urging them to improve the contract with tighter service agreements so that we can have a truly improved bus service.

The 100 is also being retendered, and I have been assured that it too will have tighter controls.  However, details of the new contract are commercially sensitive until the contract is awarded, so I have no details of how either of these services will be controlled.

Route 8 In my last report I mentioned the problems on the Route 8, and TfL's proposals for shortening the route.  Apologies to e-panelists that you haven't heard back from me, but I'm still chasing TfL to come back to me to address your complaints about the service and my representations against the proposal to cut the route short.  I've been promised it soon, but I have heard on the grapevine that we might have lost this battle and it may be stopped short at Oxford Circus.  I will update you when I hear the definitive answer.

Spring Bus Review

TfL are reviewing a number of routes across London.  Listed below are all the routes whose current contracts end in the next couple of years.

Barking & Dagenham:  62, 103, 128/N128, 145, 150, 169, 173, 174, 175, 247, 287, 296, 366, 368, 387, 673, 687

City of London:  4, 15H, 23, 45, 47, N47, 78, 141, 153, 172, 271, N271

Newham:  173, 257, 366, 673

Tower Hamlets:  15H, 47, 78

Please let me know any service issues or suggested improvements for these routes.  And of course, I will still continue to pursue problems with other routes.