Lefties and Centrists of London - would you consider voting against the current mayor in the next election?

[hotmumshit]

Cant get a bus down Oxford Street
Crime hasn't gone anywhere, only the phone bike thieves due to international outcry
Housing still a mess

I am a lifelong leftie, but I am not voting the current mayor in again.

If a pp is right & the e-bikes travel at 20mph, then they may not class as a bicycle (as amongst other things they would need the speed assist from the motor is capped at 15.5mph) & would class as a motorbike. If so, the riders would need a licence, motorcycle helmet & insurance & follow other motorcycle rules, which gives the police more grounds to intervene.

It’s a difficult issue for the police though & one where’s there probably is a need for more legislation.

Re Oxford Street - pedestrianising schemes (& other road safety schemes) often get this kind of pushback. If it’s a success, hopefully it will allay these fears for future schemes.

How do you know he hasn't started the process?

Hear hear 👏

Can anyone help me understand why some people dislike Khan so much?

Has he?

I think it’s pretty obvious what the reason is, and it’s not his policies or anything he’s actually implemented.

Not enough children by different women, clearly. So not displaying the moral character we expect of our mayor.

Salfridges used to (and may still) have both back and side entrances. People with mobility issues could use those, and it would be in Selfridges' interest to restore them, if they're not still functioning.

I think it's a really good idea. Last time I was in Oxford Street, it was grim and tawdry. I'm hopeful that this plan will make it a more pleasant place to go.

@hotmumshit I hope you are feeling more positive this morning. People have given you lots of tips about the buses etc. and it seems your trip to Selfridges is doable after all.

Maybe you could also lobby your assembly member for a scooter hire scheme to be introduced. Things don't change unless people shout!

I am a born n bred Londoner.

I objected to the Oxford St scheme, for multiple reasons.

As for voting for Khan, I genuinely do not know anybody who has ever voted for him & think the damage he’s been allowed to wreak on our city is unforgivable.

Have never & will never personally vote for him. I detest all he’s done, absolutely decimated local communities, independent businesses and peaceful enjoyment of so many previously beautiful local areas via his obsession (& of course incentivised /manipulative TFL funding to local authorities) with ULEZ, cycle lanes and utterly divisive LTN’s.

Disabled & vulnerable residents totally overlooked in the name of “progress”, against all majority local feeling -recorded in farcical “consultations”, where they “have listened” but steam ahead anyway. Disgraceful.

He has reduced emergency response times in vital areas, which will I hope never be tested, but inevitably, in the event of a tragedy/major incident, this will cost lives.

All the while he & his family are chauffeured around in armoured Range Rovers, which is sickening. I am aware of the security risks he carries (I also hate the appalling abuse he’s received), but this cannot be justified when most Londoners are struggling to buy groceries, all he has done has made our lives more stressful, dangerous & hideously expensive.

Monitoring the Oxford St changes already, the cyclists are above the rules, electric bikes mentioned upthread will continue at high speeds, faces covered, thieving and it’s not if but when, somebody is hurt as has happened in other areas. Taxi opportunities are inadequate and too far apart, so what happens next? Obviously people will now opt to drive to Westfield x 2, Bluewater or Lakeside, where they can park freely & safely, without time limits.
Retail in central London has still never recovered from lockdown, Khan will now be responsible for yet more money laundering Candy shops and ultimately, the death of previously world renowned retail shops.

I guess I am more left of centre politically, but cannot wait for Khan to be gone, this does not mean I support Cleverley, I think he’s a bizarre & awful choice, lacking credibility, but at least he’s listened to Londoners and seems to want sensible improvements.

Khan has got his place in the Lords- God knows how or why, he’s done irreparable damage- get him out.

This the standard anti Khan rhetoric, a whole lot of vitriol and not a lot of facts or concrete information.

Erm noooo.

Vitriol is perfectly valid in the face of such damage.

Not quite sure what concrete evidence you require, but all freely available on Google and well-reported.

I think your reply is standard from those unaffected by these schemes, or possibly one of the few entitled residents who benefit from his efforts. There is no justification for any of this other than financial gain, I really hope your family have no disabilities to factor into their travel plans.

Well, what you're writing about ULEZ is nonsense to start with. The vast majority of cars are ULEZ compliant. My 10 year old diesel is. And the improvement in air quality is indisputable.

There is nothing to back up your claim that independent or small business have been decimated for a start, absolutely nothing to back up your claim that he has “decimated local communities”, there’s nothing to back up your claim that emergency response times have been reduced by LTNs either, in fact several studies by the London Fire Brigade have shown this to not be the case.

I have a disabled young child, live in a LTN and have seen zero negative effect in the local area. School areas are safer now traffic isn’t allowed during those times, the high street is thriving and safer with a lack of cars, hospitality businesses have been able to expand onto the pedestrian street to increase revenue, the lack of traffic provides space for new initiatives like a Halloween disco on the high street, late night Christmas shopping with stalls on the street for food and drink, summer party events and an annual summer festival have improved the local community hugely.
Tangible benefits.

Any decision made about almost anything is going to be good for some groups of people and will often disadvantage another. Politicians have to make decisions that deliver the greatest good for the greatest number.

Pedestrianising Oxford Street will improve air quality, which will benefit those who work there as well as those who shop there. It may also make people more inclined to go there, as it can't possibly make it more grim than it already is. That will lead to economic benefits as well as environmental ones.

London isn't short of decent places to shop, OP, and it has good public transport so most of them are easy to access. Imagine what it's like to live in a small town where every chain store has closed and you have to do a 20 mile round trip or get a bus and a train to buy a bra or a tin of paint?

The cycle and bus lanes are a brilliant development where we live.

Nobody ever has an explicit reason other than ULEZ (created by Boris). Its all 'self-interest ' and 'he's ruined London' without any actual facts. And, as with complaints about local councils, people often don't know what powers he actually has

I disupte your statement here, but can possibly see why you have landed on your vie. This report explores the inequalities and community divisions LTN's have brought, to expllain:

I think ULEZ is great. Most cars are compliant and air quality is noticeably better LTNs can be a bit annoying but when theyre around schools I support them 100%.
Free school.meals for.primary school kids was brilliant too. Crime is down. Id vote him in again in a heartbeat. And to the PP I am also a "born and bred Londoner" as I would imagine most who are commenting are!

I think some of the 'born n breds' don't like change

I cannot possiby speak for all born n bred Londoners, but personally love change, it's what makes us tick and what gives us such a gorgeous range of opportunities in terms of events, galleries, museums, entertainment and employment. But...... when getting to any of these is made an expensive living hell, with no tangible benefits to the environment, I question why we are all being put through this for the benefit of a very few elite residential streets.

🤣 no it hasn’t stabbings and crime are at an all time high. That man has destroyed London he’s vile.

This is just an outright lie though!

The tangible benefits are cleaner air and better fed kids? What is bad about that?

To try to spin ULEZ (or pedestrianisation!) as some sort of cynical ‘for profit’ exercise is ridiculous!

Any responsible, forward thinking Mayor who actually cared about the city would understand that we simply cannot go on allowing traffic congestion to increase and air quality to get worse in London.

The city would very quickly become a dystopian nightmare if we didn’t put in deterrents to stop people driving anywhere, at any time.

No, things aren’t perfect.

The city hasn’t yet caught up with the explosion of cyclists and e-bikes and scooters, and that absolutely needs better management.

Public transport is still too expensive.

The city has a long way to go with regards to accessibility for disabled people. (I would love to see a central London tram or trolley system put in place and FAR MORE pedestrianisation in the West End and around the river).

BUT…

Air quality is improving. This has got to be a good thing!?!

The culture of driving everywhere is changing and largely Londoners have adjusted to restrictions. I remember people moaning in the 90s when parking restrictions came in around the West End. Then moaning about the congestion charge. People don’t like change, but guess what…we survived! And the thought of people being able to drive into the West End park wherever they want to is now unthinkable and frankly, stupid!

We are extremely fortunate to have one of the best public transport systems (if not THE best) in the world. The fact that Oxford Street is served by four tube stations (Marble Arch, Bond St, Oxford Circus, Tottenham Court Road) and has buses running on all side streets and at major intersections, is testament to that.