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Right Said Fred: I'll stand for London Mayor
By Katharine Barney, Evening Standard Last updated at 11:15am on 18.04.07
Fred up: Richard Fairbrass
The lead singer of novelty pop band Right Said Fred has revealed he is to stand for London Mayor - because he is fed up of paying the congestion charge.
Richard Fairbrass has promised to run against Ken Livingstone and has already made official inquires about launching his campaign.
The singer, who shot to fame in 1991 with the hit I'm Too Sexy, will stand as an independent candidate and told The Sun: "Ken Livingstone has lost the plot. London has turned into a rich man's playground.
"The congestion charge needs a massive overhaul - real Londoners should get a massive discount."
His band, who are releasing a new album at the end of the month, have just been cleared after parents claimed their new Daz washing powder ad was "too sexy" for children's television.
Fairbrass's move comes as Mr Livingstone today vows to ensure the 2012 Olympics are delivered on time to enable him to continue as Mayor until at least 2016. He believes the best way of winning a fourth term in May 2012 - assuming he is reelected next year - is by making a success of the Olympics preparations.
"I would love to carry on until I drop," he said.
Reader views (21)
I'd love to know how people who want to scrap the congestion charge propose keeping traffic levels down. There are many, many people who do not drive into central London now because of the charge. That has to be good. Scrap it and what do you get? More pollution, even more gridlock.
- Ben, London
Real Londoners should get a discount? And who are these 'real' Londoners? Anyone born within the sound of Bow Bells? Anyone stupid enough to actually drive a car in Central London when it has the largest and most envied transport system in the world?
- Darren, London
Right Said Fred to stand against Livingstone is excellent news.
The Congestion Charge was introduced without properly thinking through why London is jamming up.
We now have an extended charge going westwards with the vast majority of residents therein opposed to it.
The jamming is mainly caused by continual road-works, faulty traffic lights, and flooding London with buses driven by crazies in the main, who have no idea how to drive any vehicle, in the first place.
The original immigrant driver that was brought over to London in the '50s knew how to drive a bus 'cos he was a Jamaican and whatever else they did, they had manners.
People have a very short memory in London, because in the late 80s he 'Red Ken' was ostracised by the Labour Government and forced to close down the GLC.
Manchester is considering introducing their own CC which is directed at traffic coming in to their City e.g. Lorries will pay their fee for coming into via M6 and cars will pay specific fee as well.
Subsequently, residents within Manchester won't pay anything other than their own normal Road Tax.
p.s. The American Embassy is 100-percent correct in not paying Livingstone a penny for their cars in London, as it is a tax; it is not a fee, nor is it a penalty charge, it is a tax.
- Bill Clarke, London, England
He's got a new album coming out, too? You don't say! What a polymath...
- Karli, Tottenham, London, London
Actually second thoughts, suberb idea!
VOTE FRED!
- Squiz, Islington, London
Of course he's serious about running for mayor and not cynically attracting a piece of free PR to sell the new album!
- Richard, UK
Anyone is better than Ken Livingstone.
- Sue,, East London
He has a nice smile, but baldies don't tend to do too well politically.
- Threaded, Roskilde, Denmark
Bring on the CC! Make motorists pay! Defintely better than trying to squeeze more out of council tax etc. Right Said Fred definitely does NOT get my vote.
- Mark, London
"I would love to carry on until I drop," he said.
May you drop today!
- Ivor, Harrow, UK
I'm too sexy for the bus!
- Fred, London
We already have a novelty act running London, why would we need another one?
- Trevor Roll, London
He'd get my vote over Ken's any day!
- Jay, London
Central Londoners, like me, only pay 80p per day if they use their car. We pay nothing if our cars remain in residents' parking bays. It's not a great deal to pay, especially if it means there is less traffic in central London.
That said, I'd vote for a slug if it had a chance of beating Livingstone!
- Cameron, London
I'm generally a fan of Ken but 2016? Come on, let someone else have a go. Good luck to Richard, but I don't think he stands a chance of winning. Although, how many of us could have predicted 10 years ago that Arnie would be running California?
People who oppose the congestion charge are living in a fantasy world. I agree that there should be more sensitive treatment of those living in and near the zone, but the fact is London is grotesquely over-congested and it has to be cut down somehow, and I've yet to hear of a better way of doing it.
Unfortunately, the mayor has no jurisdiction over rail policy Raminder, so you'll just have to cross your fingers that David Cameron will sort that one out. Which, of course, he won't.
- Gloria, London
London is not all about the congestion charge - if makes the rest of the UK pay extra for the olympics rather than londoners, abolishes proposed rubbish tax, fines trains for being crowded and late, reduces council tax for pensioners - then I am 100% for someone challenging Red Ken!
- Raminder Bhalla, Northolt
Don't like the congestion charge ? Take a bus, tube or taxi.
- Squiz, Islington
Having grown up with Right Said Fred and Richard being in the gay community, I would absolutely love it if he became Mayor! Shows the world changing for the better, people becoming far more liberal and as long as he has the task of 'fixing' London's issues on his mind, I'm all for it. Go Richard - you make my day, anyday, anytime!
- Jester, East London
Love it! Richard can take on the role as long as he is aware of all the other issues surrounding London that we Londoners are concerned about. We need people in charge who are happy to take on challenging roles that us 'mere mortals' cannot get the publicity to do! I have no issues with celebrities doing political jobs as long as they are there for the jobs and no themselves. I vote "sexy" Richard over Ken anyday!
- Queen Beena, Wembley
Fred for Mayor!
And put Ken personally in charge of the Olympics. Let him take out a £12bn loan to pay for it. If he's so confident of the "lasting legacy", he will get his money back twice through increased investment in London and property values. Ok, Ken? No, thought not.
- Nobby Clark, London, UK
He's got my vote! Can he also cancel the London Olympics project please?
- Georgie, London
