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| Labour's London mayor candidates commence the battle of ideas | Labour's London mayor candidates commence the battle of ideas |
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| Labour has announced its shortlist of contenders to be its London mayoral candidate for 2016 and begin a new era in City Hall after Boris Johnson’s eight years of media-puffed averageness. Diane Abbott, Tessa Jowell, Sadiq Khan, David Lammy, Gareth Thomas and Christian Wolmar came through their interviews with a six-person panel of Labour London region and national executive committee representatives yesterday. | Labour has announced its shortlist of contenders to be its London mayoral candidate for 2016 and begin a new era in City Hall after Boris Johnson’s eight years of media-puffed averageness. Diane Abbott, Tessa Jowell, Sadiq Khan, David Lammy, Gareth Thomas and Christian Wolmar came through their interviews with a six-person panel of Labour London region and national executive committee representatives yesterday. |
| Contrary to some reports, it had always been possible that some would be pruned at that stage. But with all six applicants who’d gained the necessary five or more nominations from London’s 73 constituency parties (CLPs) now passing the interview test too, the capital’s party members, members of its affiliated organisations and “registered supporters” who can sign up for £3 will now have the widest possible choice of potential candidates to choose from. | Contrary to some reports, it had always been possible that some would be pruned at that stage. But with all six applicants who’d gained the necessary five or more nominations from London’s 73 constituency parties (CLPs) now passing the interview test too, the capital’s party members, members of its affiliated organisations and “registered supporters” who can sign up for £3 will now have the widest possible choice of potential candidates to choose from. |
| This is a good thing. The field spans Labour’s philosophical spectrum, embracing left, right, green, mutualist and devolutionist tendencies. It comprises two women and four men with a wide range of knowledge and life experience. As a group, they look a lot like the city they wish to lead. The first hustings will take place on Tuesday, hosted by the Centre for London think tank. The London Labour Housing Group has arranged another for Thursday, July 2, which I will be chairing. There will be more to come. The election will be conducted on a straightforward, one person, one vote basis and the result announced on the weekend of 12/13th September. | This is a good thing. The field spans Labour’s philosophical spectrum, embracing left, right, green, mutualist and devolutionist tendencies. It comprises two women and four men with a wide range of knowledge and life experience. As a group, they look a lot like the city they wish to lead. The first hustings will take place on Tuesday, hosted by the Centre for London think tank. The London Labour Housing Group has arranged another for Thursday, July 2, which I will be chairing. There will be more to come. The election will be conducted on a straightforward, one person, one vote basis and the result announced on the weekend of 12/13th September. |
| Here’s an introduction to policy ideas the candidates have offered so far. | Here’s an introduction to policy ideas the candidates have offered so far. |
| Diane Abbott. The Hackney North and Stoke Newington MP gave a substantial speech at the London School of Economics last October and has set out positions on the environment, immigration and diversity, housing and the cost of living. She has promised to freeze public transport fares for four years and backed Generation Rent’s call for private sector rents to be limited to no more than 50% of the local annual council tax bill. From the left-most wing of her party and with a track record of dissenting from the leadership line, Abbott is characterising herself as the genuinely independent voice London needs. Many had expected her to get more than the eight CLP nominations she secured, especially as this part of the selection contest was effectively two parallel ones, one for the women and one for the men, due to the requirement to nominate at least one female. She might also have hoped for union endorsements, but those have gone elsewhere. However, Abbott’s high media profile should assist her quest for the selection contest votes that matter most. | |
| Tessa Jowell. The former Olympics, media and health minister who represented Dulwich and West Norwood for 23 years is one of the favourites, gaining a massive 63 CLP nominations (though this might flatter to deceive a little: see above). Jowell has pledged to set up a body called Homes for Londoners to drive the development of public land for housing “mixed communities”, especially that owned by Transport for London (TfL). She told the BBC on Sunday that this would be based “in City Hall”. There is an emphasis on help for first time buyers through a rent-to-buy scheme, along with plans to reduce the number of empty dwellings, crack down on bad private sector landlords and to improve the construction industry skills base. Jowell has also said she’d redirect the remaining council tax Londoners are due pay towards the cost of the Olympics to reinforce funding for the Sure Start centres for mothers with young children she introduced when in government. Jowell argues that her experience, delivery record for the capital and an ability to appeal to non-Labour voters mark her out as the best potential candidate. | Tessa Jowell. The former Olympics, media and health minister who represented Dulwich and West Norwood for 23 years is one of the favourites, gaining a massive 63 CLP nominations (though this might flatter to deceive a little: see above). Jowell has pledged to set up a body called Homes for Londoners to drive the development of public land for housing “mixed communities”, especially that owned by Transport for London (TfL). She told the BBC on Sunday that this would be based “in City Hall”. There is an emphasis on help for first time buyers through a rent-to-buy scheme, along with plans to reduce the number of empty dwellings, crack down on bad private sector landlords and to improve the construction industry skills base. Jowell has also said she’d redirect the remaining council tax Londoners are due pay towards the cost of the Olympics to reinforce funding for the Sure Start centres for mothers with young children she introduced when in government. Jowell argues that her experience, delivery record for the capital and an ability to appeal to non-Labour voters mark her out as the best potential candidate. |
| Sadiq Khan. A former transport minister, the MP for Tooting and a former human rights lawyer, is making much of his council house upbringing as the son of Pakistani immigrant London bus driver to present himself as a product of London’s capacity to provide paths of opportunity. He secured 42 CLP nominations, the second highest overall and was the clear winner of the “boys race”. He has also hogged endorsements from Labour-affiliated unions. Considered the field-leader along with Jowell, Khan too has placed housing at the heart of his pitch, saying he would take a City Hall-based, hands-on approach to all aspects of housing policy. This would include ensuring maximum affordability in private schemes with the stress on social rented homes, introducing an income-linked London Living Rent for new private rented homes and a London-wide not-for-profit letting agency, and providing boroughs with direct support for housing projects. Khan has pledged a four-year fares freeze, including on cycle hire. As leader of a general election campaign in London which saw Labour gain seven seats and take a 44% vote share, Khan argues that he has shown that he knows how his party can win in the capital. | Sadiq Khan. A former transport minister, the MP for Tooting and a former human rights lawyer, is making much of his council house upbringing as the son of Pakistani immigrant London bus driver to present himself as a product of London’s capacity to provide paths of opportunity. He secured 42 CLP nominations, the second highest overall and was the clear winner of the “boys race”. He has also hogged endorsements from Labour-affiliated unions. Considered the field-leader along with Jowell, Khan too has placed housing at the heart of his pitch, saying he would take a City Hall-based, hands-on approach to all aspects of housing policy. This would include ensuring maximum affordability in private schemes with the stress on social rented homes, introducing an income-linked London Living Rent for new private rented homes and a London-wide not-for-profit letting agency, and providing boroughs with direct support for housing projects. Khan has pledged a four-year fares freeze, including on cycle hire. As leader of a general election campaign in London which saw Labour gain seven seats and take a 44% vote share, Khan argues that he has shown that he knows how his party can win in the capital. |
| David Lammy. The first MP candidate to formally declare his long-held interest in the job, the member for Tottenham quickly produced an exhaustive housing report, advocating greater building densities including “in the form of Victorian-style terraces or low-rise blocks”, expanding the Greater London Authority planning department, simplifying regulations around shared ownership homes to help broaden their appeal, placing new conditions on the right to buy, introducing rent regulation in the private sector and, uniquely, seeking the release of “poor quality greenbelt land “for affordable and large family homes. More recently, he has pledged to issue up to £10 billion of housing bonds to pay for 30,000 new social rented homes. Lammy has attracted financial backing from the City and positioned himself distinctively on social issues, arguing in his post-riots book Out of the Ashes that increased social and economic liberalism have had the unhappy side effect of lessening ties of mutual obligation. Lammy is a great admirer of the right wing social policy think tank Policy Exchange, for whom he has recently produced a report on the effects of burglary and shop lifting. Like Khan, Lammy, who received 15 CLP nominations, stresses his humble origins. Like Jowell, he believes he can reach beyond Labour’s London core. | David Lammy. The first MP candidate to formally declare his long-held interest in the job, the member for Tottenham quickly produced an exhaustive housing report, advocating greater building densities including “in the form of Victorian-style terraces or low-rise blocks”, expanding the Greater London Authority planning department, simplifying regulations around shared ownership homes to help broaden their appeal, placing new conditions on the right to buy, introducing rent regulation in the private sector and, uniquely, seeking the release of “poor quality greenbelt land “for affordable and large family homes. More recently, he has pledged to issue up to £10 billion of housing bonds to pay for 30,000 new social rented homes. Lammy has attracted financial backing from the City and positioned himself distinctively on social issues, arguing in his post-riots book Out of the Ashes that increased social and economic liberalism have had the unhappy side effect of lessening ties of mutual obligation. Lammy is a great admirer of the right wing social policy think tank Policy Exchange, for whom he has recently produced a report on the effects of burglary and shop lifting. Like Khan, Lammy, who received 15 CLP nominations, stresses his humble origins. Like Jowell, he believes he can reach beyond Labour’s London core. |
| Gareth Thomas. A late-comer to the fray, the MP for Harrow West and former shadow minister has produced eye-catching big ideas for London’s evolution. He tells me he will advance his case that London should be treated as a separate city state within the Union by publishing a London Devolution Bill in the coming days, to “flesh out my plans to devolve more responsibilities and powers” to the capital. Thomas says both Heathrow and Gatwick airports should get new runways, rather than a choice being made between the two options and has outbid his rivals by saying he’d cut Tube, rail and bus fares by 10% in his first year and freeze them after that. Such a policy would cause a stir at TfL, which Thomas would want to make more accountable to passengers. As chair of the Co-operative Party, he is keen to promote mutualist principles, including in housing. He’d “champion social housing” through a mayoral housing company and thinks mayors should have powers to regulate private rents in the city. With six CLP nominations, Thomas is an outsider in the race but seems determined to make his mark on it. | Gareth Thomas. A late-comer to the fray, the MP for Harrow West and former shadow minister has produced eye-catching big ideas for London’s evolution. He tells me he will advance his case that London should be treated as a separate city state within the Union by publishing a London Devolution Bill in the coming days, to “flesh out my plans to devolve more responsibilities and powers” to the capital. Thomas says both Heathrow and Gatwick airports should get new runways, rather than a choice being made between the two options and has outbid his rivals by saying he’d cut Tube, rail and bus fares by 10% in his first year and freeze them after that. Such a policy would cause a stir at TfL, which Thomas would want to make more accountable to passengers. As chair of the Co-operative Party, he is keen to promote mutualist principles, including in housing. He’d “champion social housing” through a mayoral housing company and thinks mayors should have powers to regulate private rents in the city. With six CLP nominations, Thomas is an outsider in the race but seems determined to make his mark on it. |
| Christian Wolmar. The seasoned transport commentator has been pursuing his mayoral ambitions since way back in 2012. Despite never being a politician, he has fought his way into the contest proper with six CLP nominations thanks to a exceptional grassroots campaign, getting around the capital mostly by bicycle to address dozens of local activist meetings. During that time he has also gathered an impressive team and produced imaginative policy proposals on transport, housing, food and the enhancement of public safety and wellbeing. The greenest of the Labour field, Wolmar wants to gradually but radically reduce car use, pedestrianise Oxford Street, update council tax (as do some other candidates) and in general “make London a more affordable, liveable and sustainable city.” He is an outsider in the selection battle in every sense, but his involvement will enhance the debate. | Christian Wolmar. The seasoned transport commentator has been pursuing his mayoral ambitions since way back in 2012. Despite never being a politician, he has fought his way into the contest proper with six CLP nominations thanks to a exceptional grassroots campaign, getting around the capital mostly by bicycle to address dozens of local activist meetings. During that time he has also gathered an impressive team and produced imaginative policy proposals on transport, housing, food and the enhancement of public safety and wellbeing. The greenest of the Labour field, Wolmar wants to gradually but radically reduce car use, pedestrianise Oxford Street, update council tax (as do some other candidates) and in general “make London a more affordable, liveable and sustainable city.” He is an outsider in the selection battle in every sense, but his involvement will enhance the debate. |
| Too often, mayoral politics are reduced to contests between personalities when they ought to be battles about ideas. Labour’s decision to put a wide range of potential candidates before its members and supporters makes realising that ideal a bit more of a possibility. This column will do its best to help in the coming weeks. | Too often, mayoral politics are reduced to contests between personalities when they ought to be battles about ideas. Labour’s decision to put a wide range of potential candidates before its members and supporters makes realising that ideal a bit more of a possibility. This column will do its best to help in the coming weeks. |
| Update: June 16, 2015. This article originally wrongly said that Christian Wolmar had received five CLP nominations and Diane Abbot seven. This was due to errors in a London Labour Party press release. |