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Wednesday 2 May 2012

Another reason not to vote for Ken Livingstone

'But by far the biggest row was over fares. Ken had signed off an above-inflation increase that was due to come into effect the year after the mayoral election, and TfL had started to brief the credit-rating agencies to that effect. This was significant, because any change to that rating would have a big impact on TfL’s borrowing. Then, one morning, Ken popped up at his weekly press conference and, off the cuff, announced that he would freeze fares if re-elected.

Over the next few days, things got silly. Ken’s aides tried to get us to sign off a statement saying the freeze had been in the budget all along. I couldn’t see how that was possible, as we’d already briefed the agencies. Then one of my press officers told me that if he was forced to put out the press release drafted by the mayor’s office, he’d resign. It was at that point, mercifully, that I managed to get myself sacked. It all became irrelevant, of course, when Boris won. But I’d got a good look at Ken being Ken.

Which is why there will be no more turning of blind eyes from me, or resigned shrugs. We need someone speaking for all of London, not just the Balkanised segments whose votes he craves. We’ve held our noses before, but not this time. I’ve seen Ken being Ken up close; it’s why I’m voting for Boris Johnson.'
That's Dan Hodges a former Ken Livingstone team member writing in The Telegraph.

I keep finding good reasons not to vote for Ken Livingstone, I've  yet to find one to push me the other way; I wonder why?

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