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Ken's plan for 'respect' will see arrests for littering
Katharine Barney, Evening Standard30.04.08
Ken Livingstone today promised to arrest queue jumpers and litterers in a bid to bring mutual respect back to London if he wins a third term.
The Mayor said he wouldtake a tougher stance on minor crime and enforce bylaws on misdemeanours such as spitting and riding bikes on pavements.
He claimed the measures would be made possible by the extra 10,000 police he had already put on the streets of London along with a promised further 1,000.
Mr Livingstone said: "I want the sort of zero-tolerance policy that [Rudy] Giuliani had in New York. You start arresting people for dropping litter, for spitting for riding their bike [on the pavement]. You enforce all the small laws."
It follows the announcement of a tougher stance on young people abusing their travel cards. He said: "In my day we were instilled with a sense of guilt so we knew when we did something wrong. That is very rare now. Everyone needs to take responsibility."
Speaking to the Evening Standard election panel, Mr Livingstone admitted the need for greater transparency at City Hall, saying his "senior appointees" would have to register outside interests.
Reader views (7)
Yet another stick from supernanny?!
How about actually not having any queues in the first place and ensuring enough people are cleaning litter by giving councils more cash instead of squandering it!
- Julian, London
Is Ken going to do the same for the unemployed and homeless of London as Rudy Giuliani did in New York and bus them out of the state? Giuliani was a disaster for the poor and homeless of New York.
- Mark, Lincolnshire UK
We do indeed need zero-tolerance: of politicians who promise but don't deliver!
- Philip, London, England
We shouldn't be too hard on Ken, he's only been in power for 8 years and hasn't yet noticed what ordinary Londoners have to put up with.
- Tenbob, Barnsbury
Four letters, begins with L!
- Billybob, London
"In my day we were instilled with a sense of guilt so we knew when we did something wrong".
Then how on earth does this man sleep at night?
I'm just guessing, but I think the word Billybob is looking for is hypocrite.
- Jimbob, Kensington
I cannot use the word I wish to for legal reasons and for the sake of the Evening standard, but when Ken says he wants to introduce zero-tolerance, my mind goes back to Ken on Radio London-Vanessa Feltz a while back when he stated and I quote " we cannot have zero-tolerance here in London, it may work in New York but here in London the culture is different".
I wish I could find a link to the show, I swear I heard him say that.
You can guess the word I wish to use to describe Ken but for legal reasons I cannot.
- Billybob, London
