PES Manifesto

1. All the best! by Asynjen on Thursday, April 24, 2008 at 11:11

2. Go, London! by fairness on Thursday, April 24, 2008 at 11:16

3. The big issues of the election by davidvaughan on Thursday, April 24, 2008 at 12:35

Hi fairness, what issues are big depends on your point of view. But both the main candidates think congestion and transport is a big issue, and they're both interested in the related environmental problems. The Olympics is also a talking point - how it's funded, how it's organised, and policed. Finally, the affordability of housing concerns them both.

Boris Johnson talks about crime rates quite a lot, and says he'll reduce them. He also puts a little more emphasis on health, although it's not a big point of difference between them in my view.

Livingstone is interested in showy events that bring tourists in and make London famous. His manifesto is also slightly more biased to issues in the "culture war" - such as race and socialised services.

Here's Ken's manifesto: http://www.kenlivingstone.com/policies/culture_and_sport

Here's Boris's: http://www.backboris.com/policy/index.php

From my point of view, as a supporter of "clean" government and transparency, it will be impossible for me to vote for Livingstone since he has transferred so much money into obscure organisations and doesn't seem to be able to account for it. Members of his cabinet and advisers are under investigation for fraud. City Hall seems to be a den of thieves! (I can say that in a general sense, can't I? No names mentioned, but feel free to moderate this bit of my post if it's close to the bone).

Good government needs to be clean and transparent - this is a fundamental requirement for the making of good decisions which maximise benefit for all. If an administration tries to conceal its activities and its spending, it seems inevitable to me that the decisions it makes are unlikely to benefit people as well as they might.