Mumsnet Talk

Siobhan, I'm not a Londoner but will be campaiging for a friend of mine who is standing in local elections where I live.

I would love to get more people out to vote.

I support votes for young people - what do you think, and at what age would you say that young people should be able to vote?

Good luck.

I'm very glad that Siobhan has had an invitation extended to her. I think the way she has been excluded from the media debates has been shocking.

Will think of a question!

Siobhan, I would live to vote for you, but because of B and K's media monopoly I don't feel I've had a chance to find out more about you.

Please tell us why you are a credible candidate, what exactly your experience in 'top' levels of government was and how it translates in to someone with the ability to sustain such a high profile position.

Also, why is it so hard to get media coverage- surely the BBC is duty bound to give a balanced view of candidates?

In other words, please show off and silence the nay-sayers!

Definitely interested in voting for you (I'd be very impressed if you managed to get 167 new primary schools built!), but wondering about your supporting the extra Heathrow runway.

Have you considered/consulted on the local opposition to this and the effect on quality of life for those under the flightpath if it goes ahead?

Could you really maintain 'strict limits on sound and emissions'?

Why is it preferable to the idea of an airport in the Thames Estuary which you said you'd want to cancel outright as a 'vanity project'? Would there really be no need for public money to be spent at Heathrow?

I would love to vote for you, not live!

I'm enthusiastic, but not that much!

What are your plans for education in the city? How do you think we can tackle the issue of the massive difference in quality of schools from borough to borough?

Would either of you consider changing the way schools are allocated through the so called choice selection which is currently used and if so what would you do to change it?

Thanks for inviting these candidates on MNHQ.

Question to each of the candidates - what one thing do you think really needs to be tackled in order to improve life in London for Londoners as a whole and how would you go about it?

Why can't they have their separate chat threads? This is (almost) as bad as the television stations not giving them air time.

I don't want to talk to Lawrence Webb <spits>!

Hi Siobhan, I'm quite interested in voting for you - I read your bit in the election leaflet with interest - although to be honest I don't think you'll get elected, you'll probably get my first preference, largely because you were the ONLY one of the candidates who seems to have noticed that London have a massive great crisis with school places!

I gather you grew up in Wimbledon - we're currently having a big planning problem with local NIMBYs who are opposing school expansion (astonishingly, they simply deny that there is any lack of school places!) - what could you do to help parents in our area?

More info in this thread:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/local_merton/1228930-Merton-dumbing-down-Dundonald-Primary-School/AllOnOnePage

and here

saveourrecproblems.wordpress.com/

and here (for fairness) is the NIMBY website

www.protectdundonaldrec.org/

Thanks!

sorry, "London have" should read "London has".

I'd like to ask a question to all the candidates. What specifically will you do to make secondary school pupils feel safe? They're most likely (I think) to be victims of crime, yet they're only ever portrayed as criminals. I think it's a big reason so many middle class families are happy with state primaries but get nervous about sending their kids to the local secondary - meaning lots of upheaval in kids' lives (away from friends and neighbourhood) and that we're a long way from getting the social mix lots of us want at secondaries.

To all the candidates:

As this election is (unfortunately) a two horse race between Boris and Ken, if the winner offered you a job in his administration, what position / area of responsibility would you be prepared to accept, and what would be your main priority?

I STILL haven't decided who to vote for (normally vote Lib Dem but don't feel inspired by Brian Paddick). I will probably give Boris my second preference (though I will have to hold my nose to vote Tory) but am open-minded about whether to vote for Brian or for Siobhan.

SO my question is for Siobhan - why should I vote for you? I still haven't totally figured out what you stand for, but I get the feeling that you stand for people like me.

Mr Webb, the Mayor of London does not have the legal power to change the immigration laws or change council's housing list priorities (for example) - how then, can you possibly implement your manifesto?

Siobhan. If I voted you as 1st pref. , who would you suggest as my second choice and why?

This question is for Lawrence, and I hope he answers: Isn't UKIP just a straight up racist party? Aren't you BNP lite? Interesting to note that you were also once an immigrant, how did you find that? As a black Briton whose parents are both immigrants, why would I ever consider voting for you. Actually why should any ethnic minority Briton vote for you?

There is no way on this planet I will ever bring myself to vote for Boris. But I don't know who to put as my second choice.

Siobhan/Jenny - why would you make a good second choice for me?

(Take it as read that the UKIP candidate will never, ever secure a vote from me)

How sad is this? I had no idea that there was anyone other that Johnson and Livingstone to vote for!!
So, does that mean that the rest of you aren't shouting loud enough?

<wanders off to decide who to vote for now I'm not just stuck with 2 choices>

Lawrence, what would you say to those of us who believe that the UKIP is extreme right but is tryint to convince the world otherwise, as Marine Le Pen's party tries the same in France?

A question for Jenny: according to Adam Ramsay, a Green activist, you come from the 'ecologist liberal' wing of the Greens (rather than the left-leaning Caroline Lucas wing). I take this to mean you're economically right-wing and more interested in conservation/ecology/animal rights than you are in economic redistribution and social justice. Would that be right?

A question for Lawrence: do you agree with your party leader that people who run small businesses shouldn't employ women of child-bearing age?

Question for all the candidates:

Councils across London are closing libraries. Brent council, the worst culprit, has closing six. This has led to a 20% drop is library issues and visits (national statistics showing 44% of children do not migrate to another library when the local one closes) and a net loss of 195 hours to access a library service.

I would like to know the candidates view on the above and what they would do to improve the situation.

I'm a young person living in London and over 50% of my wage goes on renting a small one-bedroom flat which I share with my partner. We are cramped for space whilst our landlady lives in a row of mansions not far from us. She does not work. What would the candidates do to redress the balance and give young people in London a better deal when it comes to renting and buying property?

Hi All,
I'm a first time voter in the London Mayoral election, I'm not convinced by Ken or Boris so am looking to use my vote elsewhere. As a young person, which one of you should I vote for?

x-post with poppyseeds99!
I would also be interested to hear what you would do for 1st time buyers!

My question goes to any candidate brave enough to answer.
How can you possible address the massive difference that now exists in London between the very rich and the average folk
To explain I grew up in London, my Grandparents use to play in Broadwater Farm when it was a farm !
So I grew up with a real sense of belonging and I really do love our Capital.
However now I found that I can no longer afford to stay living here.
I can't afford central London parking plus congestion charges, when my babies were little I couldn't use public transport with a buggy.
Now they are older I face the dilemma that there literally isn't a decent secondary school for my son. The nearest is selective and only other alternative is awful by any standards.
My local high street is closing down, at least half the shops are closed due to high rent, yet my council continue to increase the parking charges.
My local GP now operates a phone service first, which makes it extremely hard to be seen by an actual doctor, we have been misdiagnosed twice.
I'm possible rambling but I am just so angry that the London seems to be only for the very rich, those that can afford privates schools, private transport and private healthcare
In short my question is when is somebody going to wake up and realise the real problem we have

My question is for Siobhan.

Hi Siobhan, thanks for coming on here. I've been impressed with quite a few things you've said so far but my question is this: why aren't you a member of the Labour Party? It seems that many of your positions are similar to that of Labour and I know quite a few Labour supporters are supporting your campaign. What exactly would you say is the (substantive) difference between you and Ken Livingstone? (excluding his tendency to say ridiculous things that offend large groups of people, obvs)

Are any of you Mumsnet users? Or do you know any?

A question for all the candidates. Who will get your 2nd preference?

The mayor has called on London employers to help reduce record youth unemployment, but he pays £3m a year to London Fashion Week to promote imported clothing. It is run by a trade association of clothing importers and one of their advisors - Ethical Fashion Forum - even has a web page cautioning against buying British goods for vague rambling reasons!
www.ethicalfashionforum.com/the-issues/made-in-britain

Are any candidates troubled by this?
Are any candidates willing to spend time with a constituent and the organisers of London Fashion Week to try and make it better at providing employment?

(I have had an offer to meet them with by green candidate, but he backed-out)

I know there is a subtle argument that LFW exports brands not clothes and that takes time to un-pick, so I'm just asking if you're troubled at first glance and willing to spend a bit of time.

[PS sorry to post in the wrong thread just now]

This is a question for all three candidates - are you satisfied that the Olympics will leave a positive legacy in their wake? How will we not end up like Greece in that respect?

I work for a small company, as does my husband, and we won't be able to work from home or stagger our working hours during the game. Business will simply suffer. Do you think this is fair?

Do you think it is right that the tube upgrades necessary to accomodate the extra burden of the games is being shouldered by ordinary commuters, and what is your position on the cost of public transport in general?

As a pro-european, sorry Lawrence, what would Siobhan or Jenny do to increase ties with the European Union to ensure more development money comes into the capital?

Hello All

Boris was very charming and urbane with the ladeez an' all .. and of course he claimed to be a feminist. Howevs, I did note (see this article) that it's possible he doesn't fully walk the feminist walk (I'll leave you to ponder what that might look like).

So:

What plans do you have to ensure that women are fairly representated at the top of your putative administrations?

What plans do you have for Rape Crisis centre funding in London?

And...

How much new social housing will be built on your watch?

What do you think of the housing benefit cap and its impact on low-earning/unemployed families in London?

Loving 'representated.

My question is for all three candidates here. Do you support Free Schools? I've heard it said that they are a London-only solution but I reckon we need a London-only solution to a London problem. The state of secondary school education across the city is shocking - forcing so many to have to leave the city when they have children of school age. This is so important I am surprised that it's not at the forefront of every candidate's agenda and campaign.

For anyone..

What is your position about the high number of religious affiliated schools in the capital? Just about every survey in the last decade has shown a steady reduction in religious affiliation amongst the British population. Yet it is almost impossible in some areas for parents to choose non-religious affiliated schools for their children. In my area we have the absurd situation of one massively oversubscribed non-religious school and five religious schools with falling rolls as parents are shipping their children out of borough rather than send them to a school that brainwashes offers a religious based education.

As a mother to a girl, I am faced with the prospect of a) applying to the oversubscribed school with little hope of success, b) going private (which I can't afford and have a moral objection to) or c) sending her to a school that is proud of the ethos of treating women as second class.

Where is the choice for parents who don't want religious indoctrination?

To all three candidates: As Boris has broken his "no strike agreement" promise and he's currently trying to wriggle out of that for his next term should he win. What will you do to ensure a good relationship with the trade unions which would ensure that public transport keeps running?

Thanks for answering Jenny. What about the others?

Siobhan - who will get your second preference? I'm going to guess Ken...

Lawrence - who will get your second preference? I'm going to guess Boris...

(And a follow-up question. Should councils hold their elections on different days to each other, so national TV has no excuse but to cover them individually as local elections? After all, nobody can stop all the councillors resigning and triggering an election)

Although my question above was addressed to Siobhan, I'd also be interested in answers from any of the other candidates.

Siobhan, thanks for getting back to me.

You didn't really answer the question though: I've read your manifesto and it's all very well to be in favour of school-building and expansion in vague general terms, what would you do about the specific situation where local NIMBYs are opposing school expansion?

Umm Lawrence - thanks for trying to undo some of the damage done by your leader - but he did actually say that on a webchat http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12570547!

Lawrence, you do realise having children and working are not mutually incompatible don't you? Perhaps you should bear in mind a large percentage of the mothers on Mumsnet are working outside the home before you start making comments on how women of "child bearing age" should vote to give up their rights

JJ says:

"Sadly, the Mayor doesn't have many powers on education"

But that's not really true, because the Mayor and the GLA have major powers re town planning - and new schools (and school extensions) need planning permission to get built. Would the candidates give planning priority to new and extended schools?

Siobhan, thank you again for getting back to me.

I'm afraid you still haven't really answered the question though.

Being in favour of school-building in vague general terms is a lot easier than having the courage to face down local NIMBYs who are opposing school-building, as they are here in the Dundonald area of Wimbledon.

What would you do in our specific situation?

A mumsnet member living 225m from the school is having, this September, to send their 4-year-old to school in Mitcham 3 miles away - that can't be right - can it?

piji I am having to send my child to a school 4.2 miles away from me.

Come and build a school in my backyard!

Many women members on the assembly have commented that Boris has been
rude and patronising to them personally. Siobhan and Jenny has this
been the case for you during the campaign?
Thanks.

Well, personally, I think MN have silenced a very worthy candidate in Carlos whatisface from the BNP. Free travel at weekend? Yes please!

But in all seriousness - what's your favourite biscuit?

MrsMicawber I wish I could!

noidles that is one of my favourite ever posts

"But in all seriousness - what's your favourite biscuit?"

Lawrence: How do you reconcile your anti-immigration stance with your history of living and working abroad yourself?

JennyJonesGreen

Thank you for your response.

I understand that the upgrades are necessary but the speed and scale of these improvements are because of the games - and that is why the fare increase has been so steep and out of touch with inflation.

Thank you for your offer, I'll refer it on but I'd appreciate a sneak peek of whatever brilliant ideas you have - I assume they are working from home staggering working hours, neither of which are viable.

LawrenceWebb

Thank you for agreeing with me. What can be done at this stage, if you win?

JennyJonesGreen
Re Heathrow: If it were that simple, why haven't they done it already?

SiobhanBenita

It's the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_disinhibition_effect - also known as the 'Greater Internet **wad Theory' - I'm afraid.

In these closing moments of the webchat, can I have a non-vague answer to my question?

<<twiddles thumbs waiting for an acknowledgement of my question from anyone>>

SiobhanBenita

I hope that means that post election, whoever wins, more schools will be built.

I also firmly believe that any voluntary aided schools with the physical capacity to do so should be creating bumper classes when necessary. At the moment the law allows for them not to use catchment areas when deciding who to accept, and some are specifying catchment areas where the wealthiest gvnrs live nowhere near their schools. This cannot go on - local children should go to local schools.

MrsMicawber

I think it means that candidates will give lip service to building schools, rather than actually building schools.

That's the impression I got. Note they didn't address my question about the proliferation of religious schools at the expense of non-religious affiliated schools for the increasing number of the population who are leaving the church.

Ha. Bitter laugh.

slug Michael Gove is pro faith schools. I think that is the be all and end all of that situation.

And don't I know it. However, it was worth a punt pointing out that the majority of the population aren't religious.

<<glares evilly at Govey>>

and yachts. He likes yachts.

slug yes, I noticed that. It's "Pay or Pray" in many areas.

How are you going to address inequality in schools in terms of the social segregation that the current system induces?

Oh bit late for that isn't it!

London Fashion Week: all the candidates skipped my question on that despite direct control of the regional development money which funds it. You'd think that with rediculous levels of youth unemployment, and riots, it would be on the agenda. They would ask themselves: "why are we paying to put people out of work?" No. We sell invisible clothes now and don't you dare question it.

Pay-or-pray was the other big ducked issue I think.

Is there a yacht theme emerging?

The mayor does have a lot of power regarding the planning of school places and admissions. It is the mayor that makes the assessment of where more places arae needed, for instance. The mayor might decide that admissions have to be adapted in order to ensure admissions are available on an equal basis.

We're not talking 'education' we are talking 'school places' which comes under strategic planning etc.

Taken from Siobahn's website

By 2015 London will be short of 70,000 primary school places.

I will ensure that 167 new primary schools are built by 2015 and limit new schools to two classes of entry each year to ensure a focus on individual children.

There has been a collapse in faith in the admissions system for Secondary Schools. I will overhaul access to Secondary Schools to make it fairer and more transparent for parents.

You are saying she's not got the power to do this?

Betelguese

Yes, you're right. It's on the planning issue, rather than the funding issue, that the Mayor's office needs to push through school building and expansion.

The situation - for our area at least - is that the money is there, but there's vocal opposition to school expansion from wealthy residents living right next to the school, who want to keep their house prices high by keeping the school catchment area small (about 200m).

So that's already delayed the school expansion and could affect planning permission - they're lobbying the council and the GLA - they have plenty of money and time to push their views.

http://saveourrecproblems.wordpress.com/

- we should have asked them for their favourite yacht... mine is the Oceanus 50, of course! (what else?)

Betelguese yeah, it's just the same story.

So long as their own kids get an education, they're happy to deny education to other people's kids. It's an "I'm all right, f* you" attitude.

At least your Council had the guts to go ahead - Merton Council has just sacked the Head of Education to appease the NIMBYs, so it looks like they're bending under the pressure.

There's a kind of possibly-racist undertone as well, as you can see from the mumsnet thread
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/local_merton/1228930-Merton-dumbing-down-Dundonald-Primary-School/AllOnOnePage

In our case, the NIMBYism is being disguised as concern for the recreation ground - which is the space that the school is expanding onto - but as the whole thing only affects 0.6% (that's not 6% but rather 0.6%) of the recreation ground, it's difficult to see what other motivation (other than their own house prices) the NIMBYs have for opposing school expansion.

The head-teacher and the governers of the school itself are in favour of it.

saveourrecproblems.wordpress.com/
(repeating the link because I screwed it up last time)

I do think that Siobhan's idea of limiting schools to two forms will help with the social exclusion issue, as more, smaller schools will mean a lower concentration of impact on the area - so an area that's rough, right by an area that's naice would normally have the naice school expanded. Adding a smaller school in between the two will allow at least one third of the demographic (adding the 3 schools together) to be integrated.

This approach of smaller schools may help, but it won't solve the problem completely.

I am so pro Siobhan, I missed the web chat to my disappointment. I want to know (having already read her manifesto), is she a MNer and what is her name

I emailed Siobhan last night.

Dear Siobhan,

Many thanks for taking the time to reply for me on Mumsnet. I wonder if you would be willing to clarify what you said.

I hope that means that post election, whoever wins, more schools will be built.

I also firmly believe that any voluntary aided schools with the physical capacity to do so should be creating bumper classes when necessary. At the moment the law allows for them not to use catchment areas when deciding who to accept, and some are specifying catchment areas where the wealthiest guvnors live nowhere near their schools. This cannot go on - local children should go to local schools.

Where do you stand on this issue, and how much of what you are saying will translate into real school places, for my very real children?

Yours sincerely,

MrsMicawber

Siobhan For Mayor info@siobhanformayor.com

10:10 PM (15 hours ago)
to me
Hi

I’m afraid I can’t speak for other candidates on this issue – I’m the only one who has pledged to make education a priority so I would be lobbying central government to build the new schools that are required.

I also agree with you that local children should go to local schools – my proposed education strategy looks at those issues specifically – improving the selection criteria needs to be addressed urgently which is why I would appoint an education commissioner to oversee the work.

Siobhan

I think she has my vote

MrsMicawber nice one for writing to her on school expansion.

It's good that she got back to you quickly.

Her response seems pretty vague to me. She doesn't address the 'voluntary aided schools' (this means church schools, right?) issue at all, or the issue of how to deal with NIMBYs which some others raised in the chat.

(She probably gets my vote though, as none of the others seem to care at all about the school places crisis)

Yes - vol aided schools are (almost?) always faith schools. She has to be vague as all she can technically do is lobby. It is essentially a council issue.

Having said that, I bloody well hope she gets her lobbying hat on and gets us some more schools!!

I think building more, smaller schools can only be a good thing. And if Siobahn can encourage that, so much the better. It will reduce overcrowding as well, while people squeeze into flats to get near to the school of their choice.

In fact I'm going to vote for her (much as I love Boris and really don't want Ken anywhere near County Hall despite being a labour supporter).

The school places / planning debate is getting further discussion with some Lib Dem councillors at the bottom of this thread here:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/local_merton/1228930-Merton-dumbing-down-Dundonald-Primary-School/AllOnOnePage