Back in March I commented on the bad feeling caused by selfish politicians who hijacked People’s Question Time for their own agendas.
The majority of ordinary Londoners present on the night were locked out as politicos from at least two parties dominated questions to the Mayor in what many saw as a contradiction of the spirit of the event.
Tonight offers another chance for Londoners to question their Mayor when he appears at the annual ‘state of London’ debate.
For the avoidance of doubt on the part of candidates and elected politicians, the night isn’t there as a platform for political point-scoring at the taxpayers’ expense.
The 1999 Greater London Authority Act, London’s own mini-constitution, describes the purpose of the event as being to provide “opportunity for members of the public to speak.”
Members of the public are those who don’t hold – or who aren’t campaigning for – public office.
As I said in March, those who can fire off an email to City Hall or write direct to the Mayor and his team really should respect the intent behind the occasion and let ordinary Londoners own the night.
