An advocate for unpopular postcodes

By Mark Ferguson / @markfergusonuk

Ken Livingstone has today unveiled London Assembly member Val Shawcross as Labour’s deputy mayoral candidate for London. Speaking today, Livingstone described Shawcross as:

“An extremely able, competent and talented advocate for London who will bring a new perspective and a fresh approach combined with a proven understanding of the whole of London to Labour’s campaign to win back City Hall in 2012. “

Yesterday, I met up with Val near London’s City Hall to discuss her thoughts on Ken, Boris and how Labour can win again in London.

Is clear from the off that Shawcross is both passionate and knowledgeable about what she wants for Londoners, and what the GLA and the mayor can achieve. Tellingly, she’s also willing to say what she thinks Livingstone and Labour need to do to win again:

“Ken got a good endorsement (from party members), but they wanted him to refresh his approach and make sure that we had a really good campaign everywhere in London.”

She’s happy to praise Livingstone – calling him good to work for and with – and says that you can be very open in what you say to him, an opportunity I’m sure that Shawcross will take advantage of if she believes that Ken is wrong.

The issue that Val seems most passionate about – perhaps crucially – is transport. She serves as chair of the GLA transport committee and is scathing in her criticism of Boris Johnson for his handling of TFL, citing his “inability to manage his team” and questioning whether or not he’s ever been on a bus other than on photocalls. “Improving the management of the transport system we’ve got, and making sure passengers get a good deal” are her top priorities.

Before Shawcross chaired the GLA transport committee, she was chair of the London Fire Authority, now chaired by Tory Brian Coleman. Coleman has come under fire recently for his handling of negations with the Fire Brigades Union, and Val certainly didn’t mince her words as she attacked the way in which Boris’s man has handled things:

“Brian Coleman is playing it in an extreme, childish, provocative, superficial way. He’s provoking people and I really fear for the future of the London Fire Brigade.”

Val seems confident though that Labour can regain control of City Hall in 2012, especially with the pressures that the Tory government will place on voters:

“I hope people start to realise that what’s really going on in their daily lives is that they’re going to be suffering from the impact of a Tory government that thinks public bad/private good.”

Perhaps what is most striking about Shawcross is how different she is to Ken Livingstone. She’s very down to earth and personal (yet robust), and provides a contrast from some of the strategic thinking that Livingstone often prefers to focus on. She proudly says she’ll be an “an advocate for people from unfashionable postcodes”:

“I bring with me a slightly different approach to politics – more about what affects people in their daily lives. I love the grand projects…at the end of the day I’m also very attentive to what it’s like to be a mum with kids in a suburb.”

Considering the 2012 election is likely to be won or lost on the votes of mums with kids in suburbs, that’s refreshing and heartening to hear.

The full interview with Val Shawcross will be published on LabourList this weekend.