Live webchat with Ken Livingstone, TODAY 11.15am to 12.15pm

[FrancesMumsnet]

In the run up to the London Mayoral elections in May, we're very pleased to announce that Ken Livingstone will be joining us for a live webchat on Wednesday 18th April from 11:15 am to 12:15 pm. You can read more about Kens plans for London on his Mumsnet blog here.

Ken Livingstone was London's first elected mayor between 2000 and 2008. He was born in Streatham in 1945, attending Tulse Hill Comprehensive and working as a lab technician at Chester Beatty cancer research unit. Since becoming the MP for Brent East he has lived in Cricklewood.

Join us for the webchat and make your voice heard about what you want to see from the capital's next Mayor. He's keen to hear your views and answer your questions. As ever, if you can't make it, please post up your advance questions here.

Thanks, MNHQ

Ken you are dodging a lot of questions.

Are you denying you said those things about the Jewish community? Are you denying you said that about London being a beacon for Islam?

@SophieNeveau

No one has asked this one so far so I will.

Ken, Boris was asked for his version of the "Lift" incident, do you want to comment on his version of events, on the webchat we had with him?

I've been stuck in lifts with Norman Tebbit and Mrs Thatcher and they were never rude to me (but she did abolish me!). I want to make sure this election is about policies that matter to ordinary Londoners, not rows in lifts.

I know I won't get anymore questions answered so I'll just say, please do something about affordable rents if you get in please! I live in a 1 bedroom council house with 2 children.

Good luck with the campaign!

@EmsieRo

I have always been a Labour supporter, as have my whole extended family, but as Jewish Londoners, I know many of them feel quite strongly that they will not vote for you (rightly or wrongly).

My question is, why do you think Labour has not put anyone else forward for this role? Are there no young, dynamic party members who would be far more suitable and deserve a chance to change things? Arguably, you have had your chance.

Hi EsmieRo . My next administration will be filled with people who are young and dynamic and I still think I'm only 40!

And please try to get the government to make national collections more accessible to non-Londoners, by making cross-country train travel affordable in this country again. National collections are more than 'attractions'.

Should have said affordable rents and housing stocks.

Hi Ken

I live in an area with a large Muslim community. Increasing numbers of pre-teen girls are coming to school wearing a full-necked headscarf, and clothes which prevent them from running, jumping and .. being a child, basically.

Do you believe that these girls are choosing to cover their bodies, as if those bodies were taboo? Can young children make an informed choice about matters like these?

And if not, how would you as mayor ensure that they are able to enjoy their right to childhood? I know this is really a DfE thing, but I want a statement of intent.

@nowit

Hi Ken,

A bit of a random question.

If you were an Olympic athlete, what would your sport be?

Swimming - that's the only sport I do. I love swimming in the sea and watching all the fishes. Once I saw lobster as big as a bulldog - it would've been a hundred years old.

I have to go to my lowly paid work now (on foot), but thank you for your intriguing answers, and may the best person win.

Inevitable but important: What's your favourite biscuit? And would you share one of Boris's choccy digestives?

@YouCanDoTheCube

Hello

As an onlooker (I'm not in London) this looks like a sickening election for feminists. We have one loathsome comedy neocon who can't keep it in his pants and couldn't be less interested in women's issues (that's Boris in case you're wondering) and one candidate who consorts with advocates of FGM and wife-beating.

Anyway.

My question is: why don't you just apologise when you get things wrong? When you make remarks that reasonable people could interpret as anti-semitic or homophobic (the Tories being 'riddled with gay people') - what's your beef with just saying 'I'm really sorry, my mouth ran ahead of my brain, that's not what I meant but I do understand how it can have been misinterpreted'?

Can you not see that your refusal to do so causes you serious damage?

I do apologise when I get things wrong, but it usually doesn't get reported. My recent article in the Jewish Chronicle is a good example of this.

Oh dear - you actually didn't publish your tax return though! That wasn't a properly formatted set of accounts, just what you wanted us to see.

I do agree with you that elections should be primarily about policies, but trust and integrity is also important. And the PAYE vs Ltd company is a big issue of integrity to many.

You haven't got my vote this time as in the past, but thanks for answering both questions (sort of).

@MissAnneThrope

Hi Ken

I live in an area with a large Muslim community. Increasing numbers of pre-teen girls are coming to school wearing a full-necked headscarf, and clothes which prevent them from running, jumping and .. being a child, basically.

Do you believe that these girls are choosing to cover their bodies, as if those bodies were taboo? Can young children make an informed choice about matters like these?

And if not, how would you as mayor ensure that they are able to enjoy their right to childhood? I know this is really a DfE thing, but I want a statement of intent.

Hi MissAnneThrope. Each person must be free to make their own choice about how they live their life. The more people attack Islam, the more people will want to assert their identity. We need to live in a more tolerant society, where people of all religions and none live alongside each other peacefully.

@Porpoise

Inevitable but important: What's your favourite biscuit? And would you share one of Boris's choccy digestives?

I'm a chocoholic and a white chocolate finger is my favourite (preferably a whole box!). I "ll share his biscuit if he cuts the fares.

Ken - your last administration left the sulphurous whiff of cronyism in the air. First, the Lee Jasper business - altho you were exonerated of serious wrongdoing there were irregularities in your administration's account-keeping and it all looked a bit, erm, rum.

Then the £1.6m of payoffs to your political staff when you lost your post - averaging 200k or summatlike - even tho you were under no legal obligation, and in fact had to change the law, to do so.

It's put me off. How will you put me back on again?

I've got to go now but thanks very much to the Mumsnetters for having me today. I've really enjoyed my vist here (and the biscuits at mumsnet towers!).

Each person must be free to make their own choice about how they live their life.

Yes, that is precisely my point. These are children. They are not able to make these choices, they are not asserting their own identity. Adults are asserting their own identity, at the expense of their children's human rights - the UN right to childhood for e bloody g.

Society has an obligation to protect those rights - especially and at the very least, within its own institutions. Like in school.

Gah. I'd really hoped for something more nuanced than this from you.

Thanks for giving us your time.

MissAnn, I was disapointed with Boris and Ken, I may do a Siobhan vote at this rate.

Thanks for coming, Ken - and for staying on to try to squeeze in some more Qs

I'm seriously considering, Soph.