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Tory boroughs hoping for payback from Boris

Katharine Barney, Evening Standard
15.05.08

Boroughs in outer London which are Conservative run are now seeking rewards from Boris Johnson for helping him win the mayoral election.

Council leaders have handed a wish list to the Mayor's team asking for more orbital transport routes and extra LDA funding.

Boroughs - including Merton and Barnet - have long complained that Ken Livingstone ignored anything outside Zone 1.

Leader of Barnet Council, Mike Freer said: "We are looking forward to working with the Mayor on protecting gardens from development, improving transport safety and reducing the cost burden of City Hall. We are also hopeful that relations with bodies like Transport for London will improve."

Chairman of London Councils, Merrick Cockell, said the approach was "a shopping list of things that need to be sorted".

It includes re-evaluating London's population as councils say the Office of National Statistic wildly underestimates the number of people living here which results in insufficient funding.

The shopping list fol lows proposals for a charter which would clarify the relationship between the Mayor and the boroughs.

Mr Johnson said: "Londoners are looking to us to deliver real change that improves their quality of life. The challenges are daunting but I am confident we can achieve them."

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Prosecute Ken for the damage he inflicted upon London over the last eight years. If he can earn money speaking then it should be taken off him and given back to the tax payer.

- Mikko Takala, Drumnadrochit, Scotland

Give 'em some bendy-buses when Boris' promised Routemaster replacements arrive in the next 2/3 years as promised.

- Fresh, London

I was born north of the river. I lived in a Labour borough with a Lib Dem MP. Living in London it was possible to notice nice new tube and light rail extensions creeping up south of the river. How about a new tube extension for the north Boris? In the Highgate, Muswell Hill area preferably.

- Mark Wright, Milan, Italy