Tag Archives: Ken Livingstone

What’s Ken’s equivalent of the Congestion Charge this time?

Ken Livingstone’s first term as Mayor of London is intrinsically associated with the Congestion Charge. An unpopular idea at the start it is now impossible to imagine London without it. The quid pro quo for it was the investment in London’s buses, now almost without exception modern and disabled-accessible. The plan was visionary, bold, determined and – viewed over the medium term – right.

Fast forward to 2012 and Ken’s re-election bid next year and what has he got? The problem this time is that Ken does not look like the radical outsider he did in 2000. This time he is the institutional one, against Boris the buffoon who many still love despite his policy inadequacies. While Ken may struggle in the character stakes, he could partially make up for it with eye-catching policies… but what could those be?

Continue reading →

Email This Post Print This Post

Why a change of generation is not going to make politicians’ net comms more interesting

In a variety of different ways I’ve been working with politicians on the net for more than a decade now. At one level it’s fine work – everyone knows the future is going to be online, right? It’s cheaper to communicate online than it is through traditional media, so the potential amount of work increases.

Yet all these years something has been nagging at me, and I know I am not the only one thinking about this. Why are politicians not better at communicating online?

Continue reading →

Email This Post Print This Post

Just a normal EU day really

radio5I like the European Parliament elections. It makes EU stuff interesting and now is one of the few times that the mainstream media is interested in EU matters. At short notice I was contacted by BBC Radio 5 Live this morning and asked to appear on the Victoria Derbyshire show commenting on MEPs’ expenses, essentially replying to this article in today’s Times. I was up against Mats Persson of Open Europe, and you can hear the debate here – 1 hour 5 minutes into the programme. Overall the debate was rather strange – the MEP pension and expenses rules are very complex and, as with the UK MP scandals, there’s no rule breaking here – it’s just that the rules are set up wrongly. Plus there is little debate about openness of expenses in out EU countries – more on that here. Anyway, a fun experience to be on UK national radio.

In EU news more generally – the stuff I would have liked to talk about – there are 2 new developments today regarding the nomination of the UK’s member of the European Commission, a matter I’ve previously posted about. Geoff Hoon has been further implicated in the UK expenses scandal today, and looks likely to be ousted in Brown’s reshuffle this week. Patricia Hewitt has also announced she is to stand down as a MP, presumably to spend more time with her consultancies family. Or is she just paving the way for a nomination as Commissioner? Overall though all the mess in Westminster means that a strong outsider is needed more than ever – come on Ken Livingstone, Brussels needs you!

Email This Post Print This Post

Westminster implications for the Brussels gravy train?

Geoff Hoon - CC / Flickr

Geoff Hoon - CC / Flickr

As the drip-drip of expenses allegations continue to emerge in Westminster, is there any implication for Brussels, the EU of course not being well known for its standards of propriety among its politicians…?

The specific point relates to the European Commission – what impact will all of the goings-on in Westminster have on the UK’s choice of European Commissioner? The new Commission is due to take office 1st November 2009, and nominees will be sought in the weeks after the European Parliament election.

I first wrote about the UK’s choice for 2009 some 18 months ago, and my analysis then has not changed that much.

Geoff Hoon is the only one of the four names I mentioned who has become deeply embroiled in the expenses scandal – Brown would surely make the European Commission look ridiculous by sending such a person to Brussels now, and Tories in the EP would have a field day at the Parliament’s hearings for prospective Commissioners. The backlash against any Labour candidate succeeding Hoon in his Ashfield constituency would be considerable.

For the other candidates – Labour is probably more strongly inclined than ever before to avoid a by-election. So the chances of Hewitt or Clarke getting the Commissioner job must also have taken a hit (nothing about them yet from The Telegraph). Also with the Lib Dems trying to hammer home their critique of Gordon Brown the chances of a ‘big tent’ candidate have surely also declined.

So who might gain from all of this?

Current incumbent Baroness Ashton is rumoured to want to carry on in Brussels. Low profile when she started, Ashton has done little to boost her reputation in her 9 months in Brussels. She would be a safe but mundane choice, no by-election needed, but chances would be that the UK could be partially Orbaned – i.e. given a minor portfolio.

So now more than ever before Brown should go for Ken Livingstone as European Commissioner – he has the stature, would make an excellent Environment Commissioner, and no by-election would be needed.

[UPDATE - 21.5.2009]
Hewitt is yet to be implicated in any expense scandals. In the meantime there is some speculation about Brown’s reshuffle after the election, moving Mandelson to the FCO and Miliband to the Home Office, although Mandy is apparently denying this. Would such a demotion actually be the precursor to Miliband taking up the High Rep for CFSP position in Brussels? @ResEuropa on Twitter thinks it’s possible.

[UPDATE 2, 21.5.2009]
Seems that Charles Clarke has been making some rather large food claims – 2 Pizzas Clarke as Paul Waugh describes it. The waiters in La Brace on rue Franklin will be rubbing their hands with glee.

Email This Post Print This Post