Former London Mayor and veteran London politician Ken Livingstone has announced the formation of a new, cross party coalition, Progressive London, to promote progressive policies in the capital.
Mr Livingstone said the coalition would “bring together all Londoners who want their city to lead the world in the 21st century and protect their quality of life at a time when every penny counts.”
Progressive London’s launch follows Livingstone’s publication of an eight point plan to help London’s economy traverse the financial downturn and a number of high profile public interventions since May’s GLA elections.
The coalition is expected to campaign against Mayor Johnson’s recently announced above-inflation fare increase.
Mr Livingstone said the current financial crisis “means that to sustain London as the best city in the world and protect living standards we need more public investment in areas like transport, good housing and improving the environment while, for example, holding down fares and promoting the city’s international openness and multicultural dynamism.”
Livingstone accused his successor, Boris Johnson, of “undermining London’s prosperity and pursuing policies like cutting transport investment and pushing up fares for ordinary Londoners while letting Chelsea tractors clog the roads and poison the city’s air.”
Weblink: www.progressivelondon.org.uk
Progressive London conference
A spokesman for Progressive London has confirmed the group will hold a conference in the capital on January 24th.
Speakers are expected to include trade unionists, academics and MPs as well as a number of London Assembly Members including former Deputy Mayor of London Nicky Gavron, Green Assembly members Jenny Jones AM and Darren Johnson AM; Labour Leader on the Assembly Len Duvall AM and Leader of the London Assembly Liberal Democrats Mike Tuffrey AM.
Adam Bienkov of the ToryTroll blog, Tom Barry from Boriswatch.co.uk and MayorWatch editor Martin Hoscik will discuss new media’s role in scrutinising London government.
