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Tories ambush the Mayor and the Greens
Katharine Barney, Evening Standard25.04.08
Boris Johnson's supporters today ambushed a Ken Livingstone walkabout in Borough Market.
The event was supposed to give Mr Livingstone a chance to meet stallholders as well as encourage shoppers to use their first vote for him and their second for Green Party candidate Si‚n Berry.
But no sooner had Mr Livingstone and Ms Berry arrived, accompanied by TV presenter June Sarpong, than the first Tory supporter turned up heckling him and waving a "Back Boris" placard.
Adozen more Tories in T-shirts then tried to obscure Green Party and Ken Livingstone posters with images of Mr Johnson.
Green Party Assembly member Jenny Jones tried to intervene but was pushed out of the way. Several Green Party members tried to block the Tory supporters and amid shoving, Mr Livingstone's walkabout was cut short.
He today said if he was re-elected Ms Berry would be given a job looking at not only the environment but also ways to improve life for small businesses.
They had handed out leaflets stressing their green credentials and discrediting those of their opponents Mr Johnson and Brian Paddick.
The flyers were emblazoned with six green policies:
• Support for the Kyoto Treaty.
• £25 congestion charge for gasguzzlers.
• Rolling out the Low Emission Zone to cut pollution from lorries.
• Opposing airport expansion.
• Half of new homes to be affordable.
• Maintaining the current congestion charge zone.
They then attacked their opponents claiming Mr Johnson is opposed to all of them while Mr Paddick would only implement two of them.
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Reader views (20)
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That's the best thing the Tories can come up with for campaigning tactics?
Sheesh. Grow up!
- Dennis, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
It does the Green Party no good at all, morally or even tactically, to cling so closely to any other candidate: it shows lack of confidence in the appeal of their own message, and a desperation for power at any price. To cling to Ken in particular is suicidal: many people who would never normally dream of voting Conservative are going to on Thursday, purely to try and clean up politics. Livingstone's clique treat any money entrusted to them as their own, and tell any lie that comes to mind. The Green Party has for several years attracted idealistic people who would once have looked to the Labour Party as a home for their idealism. I suppose you could call Ms Berry's tactical positioning a sign of the Greens becoming a grown-up, mainstream party: however, I think it will taint them badly in the event.
- Mdj, Leyton, e10 london
I just think vote none of the above. It's all just coffers for the greedy ex-trotskyite or neo fascist politicos and their corporate /business community mates. Meanwhile the rest of us are trapped in poverty and things are getting worse. I assume there is going to be another wholesale clearing of the East End like has happened several times before.
- Mark, Archway
