Ken Livingstone has suggested the 2012 elections should be postponed “until 2013” due to their close proximity to the London Olympics.
The Mayor was responding to a question from London Assembly Member Roger Evans after the Government Office for London (GoL) advised MayorWatch that “the [2012] election will be held in May in accordance with existing legislation”.
At last week’s Mayor’s Question Time Mr Evans asked the Mayor: “the 2012 Mayoral and Assembly elections will be held in very close proximity to the start of the Olympic Games. Do you think that sticking to this timetable is the right course of action?”
Mr Livingstone replied: “I do not think this timetable is ideal and my preference would be for the London elections to be postponed until 2013.”
The timing of elections for the Mayor and London Assembly are dictated by the 1999 Greater London Authority Act however Ministers have the powers to vary the date if they wish.
MayorWatch has written to Mayor Livingstone asking what steps he’ll take to persuade Ministers to vary the date and asking him to confirm that he’ll seek to develop a cross party consensus on any changes.
