Bit gutted I missed it. Do you know if anyone filmed it?

I was there last night, it was very interesting but I throught this was a debate for new opportunities for young Londoners, not to get funding for projects this is you heard all the time. Ross Kemps comments and knowlege and answers were excellant. If according to the Mayor he will be visiting no end of youths projects in the future.
I was vey interested in a couple of questions raised 1 regarding low ability in primary schools eg writng and reading these would normally end up in prison this is not always the case. This question came from a teachehr that worked with young offenedrs in Felton, not the right attitude to have, and the other question bullying and transition from primary school to seconadray school. I work in a school and we have a transition class started last year and it is working very well. It would have been nice if local schools attened and put there point across on the subjects instead of the few that did!

I was also there and thought that Boris really needs to start explaining what exactly it is that he’s going to do for Londoners - young and old. As one person who asked what, as an older person, he was going to do for her, he could have replied that engaging young people in positive activities and reducing anti-social behaviour will benefit all. He really doesn’t seem to have the wit to be able to respond to what ordinary Londoners want and need. As for Ray Lewis, he’s really listening isn’t he! Doesn’t answer his emails - and doesn’t have anyone else to answer them either! - and quite happy to tell people they will have to wait 3-4 weeks for a response from him. That kind of service is a disgrace. Why not give employment to young Londoners in admin jobs at the GLA where they can build their skills rather than having so many highly paid, ineffective people!

I was quite disappointed by this. For me it descended into a farce soon after the man on the balcony has his tirade at the LDA about crime.

I agree with the writer about the ineffectiveness of Mr Lewis and Mrs Mirza, and the constant referral of questions to them from Boris wore thin after the second or third time.

I think it should have been done more like a question time as when I left it just seemed one minute short of utter chaos.

We shall wait and see what happens next.

I attended this event and have to disgree with Martin. In fact Martin I wonder if we were both at the same debate. Not sure it can be called a debate, more like a pitch process whereby attendees have 3 mins to pitch for funds. I recall one attendee demanding a meeting with Boris.
Boris was far from impressive, in fact he came across as someone who was not in touch. At one point Boris opened up a question to the entire floor. The question he asked was ‘if we make weapons uncool would that deter people from carrying them’. Needless to say the audience errupted. At one point I felt I was part of the Trisha or Jeremy Kyle show.

Martin - did you not notice people walking halfway through the debate?

This was one of the best questions that went unanswered was linked to Boris’s new plan of putting more police on the streets. If so many young people need, want and advocate all the youth programmes and activities that suffer from lack of funding, why has Boris spent more on police to patrol the streets rather than these youth programmes? Surely it would make more sense to tackle the problem at its source (as he said he wants to).

I wasn’t able to make the event, but one of my former research colleagues at the London Assembly did, and his overall comment was that really it was just a bit on the thin side in comparison with the State of London Debates which were held in the past. More variety, more time to discuss different things, more opportunities to meet senior people. More buckle and a little less swash, in fact. It’s becoming a bit of a theme in this mayoralty…

To james - tackling crime with youth programmes is a long term strategy (ie effects will not be seen overnight) whereas police on the street is a short term that will produce a reduction in crime quickly.

Gina was incorrect in stating Ray Lewis said it takes him 3-4 weeks to reply. What he actually said was 3-4 months. He also stated he was bushed and inferred he was overloaded. At which point a heckler shouted resign and give the job to someone who had more stamina. This is an accurate reflection of a man who is out of his depth. The assembly needs to look at how the decision makers are managed and more importantly, they need to brief Boris more fully. I was disgusted that Lewis had not bothered to reply to the Chairman of the British Transport Police Authority. How does he expect to receive cooperation from the Transport Police, if he cannot see the importance of contacting key people. It all smacks of a PR exercise.
I believe the Youth Parliament will fare better than this shower. Kemp for Mayor anyone????

I was at the debate and wished by the end that i could of been struck down with the bubonic plague before hand !! I thought Munira and Borris were completly out of touch and were drowning in questions they clearly could not answer,ray seemed to have thought about the issue but clearly cant wake up enough as he is quote “tired man” having only just taken on this position! - we can only delight in the thought of what he may produce in the future !Ross was indeed the only one who made any sense of the issues discussed. I am trying to contact Ross Kemp but cant find any details any help pls !!!one last thought . . . it was my daughters 15 birthday bbq on sat 28 of june only a couple of days after the debate,we had the usual crowd of kids at the party only to be set upon by a 30 strong gang welding knives doors crowbars and bricks, it resulted in 4 being stabbed and 3 being “stamped out”this was simply due to boys in my house were not from the area, and now 2 more young people have been murdered over the last 2 days ! we must unite as parents/communties/friends/adults and help our children,because they can not do it alone.