100 days, 100 percent

What worries me is if Ken gets another chance, will he have learned from his past mistakes. No more Lee Jaspar for example and his schemes. When Ken was presented with evidence regarding Mr Jaspar all he did was shoot the messenger by just pretending it was some media plot.

The trouble with the Mayorality is that it encourages patronage often of rather dubious characters (Johnson has been equally as guilty). Expensive mistakes are bad enough in central government, in London we pay twice over

Ms Hillier says of Mr Livingstone that his “track record on low fares goes back to when Boris was still in short trousers”.

What is that record? According to Mr Andrew Gilligan, blogging at the Daily Telegraph, it suggests that Mr Livingstone’s record is utterly dreadful.  I cut and paste:

“Promise
“I will freeze bus and tube fares in real terms for four years” – Ken Livingstone manifesto at May 2000 election
What actually happened
- In January 2004, the single bus fare outside central London was raised from 70p to £1, a rise of 43%.  Fares on the Tube rose by up to 25%. Inflation was 2.6% at the time. (Oyster pay as you go users could avoid these rises, but Oyster pay as you go was not introduced on buses until later in 2004.)
- The weekly bus pass for those travelling outside central London rose from £7.50 to £9.50, a rise of 26.6%. For those travelling in central London it rose by 11.7%, from £8.50 to £9.50. See pp210-14 of this PDF.
- Livingstone himself states in his recent memoirs (page 491): “I decided to increase the fares before the [2004] election.”
 
Promise
A rise in the congestion charge “won’t be necessary. It’s now quite clear that £5 was enough. I can’t conceive of any circumstances in the foreseeable future where we would want to change the charge, although perhaps ten years down the line it may be necessary” – Ken Livingstone, Daily Telegraph, 25 February 2003
What actually happened
Just over two years later, in July 2005, the congestion charge rose by 60% (from £5 to £8). Livingstone had made no mention of this in his 2004 election manifesto.
 
Promise
“I will hold any future fare increases to no more than the rate of inflation” – Ken Livingstone, 34th mayor’s report to London assembly, 2003, after announcing 2004 increase.
Livingstone also states this in his recent memoirs (page 491): “I decided to increase the fares before the [2004] election and then promise that they wouldn’t rise by more than inflation.”
What actually happened
- In January 2005, the single Oyster bus fare was raised from 70p to 80p (a rise of 14.3%). Inflation was 3.2 per cent at the time.
- In February of the same year, the fare was raised again for peak hour travellers from 80p to £1 (a further rise of 25%.) The peak rise had been planned to start from January, but was delayed by seven weeks because of technical glitches.
- In January 2007, the off-peak Oyster single bus fare was also raised from 80p to £1 – a 25% rise. Inflation was 4.2 per cent at the time.
- Just before the election, Livingstone reduced the fare from £1 to 90p. Even allowing for this, bus fares during Ken’s second term rose by about 11 per cent above inflation over the same period.
- TfL was condemned for misleading by the Advertising Standards Authority after claiming in publicity material that fares had been frozen.
- Livingstone himself admits in his recent memoirs (p497) that he “increase[d] the fares…this meant breaking my promise not to raise fares faster than inflation.”
 
Promise
“I see no need to raise fares above the rate of inflation and I guarantee to hold down fares to the rate of inflation in 2009 and 2010.” – Ken Livingstone, press conference, 30 October 2007.
“There should not be any reason why fares need to rise more than in line with inflation over the next four years.” – Ken Livingstone to London Assembly, 14 November 2007 (see p25 of this PDF.)
What actually happened
- On 24 October 2007, just six days before promising the opposite at his press conference, Livingstone had secretly approved plans to increase bus fares by two per cent above inflation, and Tube fares by one per cent above inflation, in both 2009 and 2010.
- In emails leaked to the Evening Standard, TfL’s director of finance, Steve Allen, stated: “TfL’s [fares plans], approved by the board and the Mayor, are materially different from the Mayor’s most recent statements and he will be asked awkward questions once that becomes clear.”
In the same emails Peter Hendy, the transport commissioner, admitted that Ken was telling “stories” on fares.”"

So I, taking over from the indefatigable Mr Gilligan, continue, is there any reason to believe what Mr Livingstone is now promising?  Mr Gilligan says not, but you might say – with Mandy Rice -Davies – that he would say that.  But Channel 4 – no bunch of right wingers – agree with Mr Gilligan: http://blogs.channel4.com/factcheck/can-ken-livingstone-deliver-a-fare-deal-for-london/9186

I apologise for the length of this post and the large extent to which it is simply a cut and paste, but to suggest that Labour and Mr Livingstone can rely upon the latter’s record on fares is – to put it mildly – eccentric.