MAN IN THE NEWS

Brian Cooke

THE TravelWatch chairman, who came out for Boris, is already facing claims he has compromised the independence of the passenger watchdog. But things got a whole lot worse when he claimed that Ken's idea of extending the Freedom Pass to give pensioners 24-hour free Tube travel was a "mad idea". "Many people over 60 still work, why should they be subsidised by all other fare payers and at the same time make the transport system even more crowded," he said. Worse still, his remarks appeared on Boris's website. Within minutes of Labour spotting them, they were removed.

CAMPAIGN CAPERS

• KEN LIVINGSTONE makes students' hearts beat faster. That's according to OTX, a research firm that measured students' reactions as they watched videos of the mayoral candidates. Ken had four of the five most "engaged-with policies", although Boris Johnson's bike plans also performed well.

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