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and just before we kick off I've just

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been aware of a poll that's going on

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Twitter which of the main which of the

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three main candidates do you think we

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improve London a London for all was the

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question posed now this poll is still

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going on Zach Goldsmith 14% sadik Khan

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20% George Galloway

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67% okay so I'm going to hand over the

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mic now and we will take your questions

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if you could be as concise as possible

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George can answer your questions

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straight away thank

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you azal Sharif uh George uh excellent

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hearing from you again thank you just a

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question um I I hope I'll be clapping

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and we'll all be clapping when you

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become mayor thank you very much thank

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you and do you see yourself joining the

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labor party again

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okay are we doing it three at a time

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yeah my name is muham and I just wanted

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to mention to you in your speech you

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have mentioned about the Camas we have

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record-breaking Camas in London than

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anywhere else in the

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world C yes traffic Camas cameras yes

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traffic cameras yeah okay

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hi George um what would you do about the

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rising problem of homelessness in London

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throughout London not just in this

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area thank you very

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much let me deal with the I've stopped

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smoking so I'm on 60 of these gums a day

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please forgive

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me let me do with the last Point

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first there's a housing crisis in London

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great than we have ever faced even at

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the end of the second world war at the

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end of the second world war when we were

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bankrupt we were building 300,000

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Council houses a

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year even under the Tories we were

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building 200,000 houses a year last year

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in London we built

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81 Council houses

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81 in a city where hundreds of thousands

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of people are on the waiting list and

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where hundreds of thousands if not

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millions of people are living in

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substandard and overcrowded

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accommodation and Rising numbers have no

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accommodation at

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all I'm

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giving to buy hats

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beanies for people without

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houses I'm giving to support soup

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kitchens and food banks for people who

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have nothing to to eat in London in

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2015 in a city that is dripping with

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gold unfortunately only a tiny

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percentage of the population gets a

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share of that wealth this is the capital

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city of the sixth largest economy in the

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world and record and Rising numbers of

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people are sleeping in the

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streets and when they're not sleeping in

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the streets they're sleeping on

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somebody's floor or somebody's sofa if

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they're lucky if there's not somebody

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already sleeping on the sofa where

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people's children have no chance

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whatsoever of getting a house remotely

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in the area of their

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parents where children who can call them

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that in their late 30s are still living

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at home with their parents because they

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simply cannot afford

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the deposit and the rent or the deposit

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and the

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mortgage to

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buy or rent houses that are eye

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wateringly

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expensive here's what I'm going to do

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I'm going to lead a campaign to build

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100,000 Council houses in London not 81

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like last year but

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100,000 Council houses in London cuz I I

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believe in Council houses I was brought

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up in one uh I was born in a slum in an

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attic when I was four but it was an

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outside toilet shared with five other

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families the seat was always

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warm and when I was 4 years old nearly

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five I moved to a brand new Council

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house and I love Council houses because

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you get to sack your

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landlord every four years in an election

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you can remove your landlord if they

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haven't been doing a good enough job try

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removing your private landlord that are

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back in force

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rakman screwing the Blood and Tears out

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of people with ever higher rents ever

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more insecure tendencies that they rip

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up at the first possible excuse and

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opportunity there are 800,000 houses in

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London that haven't been bought as house

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houses at all but have been bought as

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safety deposit boxes for hot money

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coming from abroad usually crooked money

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that is parked in London in houses that

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nobody lives in or will ever live in

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it's only an investment so when these

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developers come to me as they must and

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say we want to build yet another block

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of luxury Flats in Harrow Buton some

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parts of Harrow I'll say if you want to

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build then half of the houses have to be

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affordable

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rents and by affordable I mean half of

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the rent prevailing in the area now to

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give you a yard stick to measure that

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against the latest luxury development in

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London is at the batter C Power Station

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where just

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8% of the houses are affordable houses

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and by affordable they mean

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80% of the prevailing rent in the area

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so I'll say if you want to build half of

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these houses must be affordable rented

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houses and by affordable I mean half of

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the prevailing rent in the area now

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somebody told me just our Christmas

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party on Friday night I don't know why

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they were there with views like this

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maybe to Lobby me they said well the

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developers won't

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develop I said well I think they

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probably will because Ken Livingston had

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exactly the same policy he didn't quite

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achieve it but that was his

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policy and the developers continued to

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develop but if they W if they can't if

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they won't that's fine we'll build some

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of our 100,000 Council houses on that

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plot of land we need to build up there's

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no way that London can continue to exist

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with so few high-rise uh buildings

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there's nothing wrong with high-rise

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buildings there's only something wrong

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with them if you don't look after them

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if you don't have a conage 24/7 conage

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system stopping people trashing them and

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bringing the value of them down to the

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point that you've got to knock them down

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we need to incentivize people to build

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granny flats for their old mother

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instead of putting her into a granny

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Farm bring her into your own house and

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we'll give you Financial incentives to

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build more units and the house that your

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granny was living in or your old mother

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was living in is thus freed for someone

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else to rent or to buy a a price that is

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falling and I have powers of compulsory

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purchase and I've

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announced that any house that is left

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empty for more than one year without

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good excuse I will compulsorily purchase

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them and put them onto the market so

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there are many things I can do on

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housing the main thing I can do is lead

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London needs a leader not a

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reader like sadik Khan reading out

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sheets of paper that somebody else wrote

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London needs a leader not a reader and I

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am that

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leader the

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the first question I greatly appreciated

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I was a member of the labor party for 36

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years I joined it when I was 13 years

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old my mother and father were members of

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the labor party all of their lives I

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have never been in any

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other ideology other than

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liberalism I'm not a communist or a

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Marxist or a trotskyist or any other

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kind of V just a labor

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EST and I was expelled by Tony

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Blair after 36 years of membership in a

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hearing that lasted 36 minutes how's

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that for symmetry Michael foot was there

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to give evidence in my

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defense Tony Ben was there to give

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evidence in my defense and Jeremy Corbin

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was there to give evidence in my defense

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but they didn't care because Blair had

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already told

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them that they had to rid him of this

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turbulent

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priest why was I

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expelled because I was one of the

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leaders of the campaign against the war

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in Iraq and how right have I turned out

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to be if they'd listened to me they'd

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listened to Mr Ben they'd listen to Mr F

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they'd listen to Mr Corbin a million

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Iraqis would still be alive and Al-Qaeda

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and Isis would never have been held off

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never have been held off in Iraq and

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Syria and when I'm lectured when I'm

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lectured by Hillary Ben who voted for

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the war in Iraq even though his father

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was our leader in the anti-war movement

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who went around the country prizing for

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the invasion of Iraq when I'm lectured

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by him about what we must do in the next

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War and the next one and the next one I

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tell you it's impossible for me to

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quietly accept it so will I ever end up

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in the labor party nobody can tell Ken

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Livingston defeated labor to become the

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mayor of London I intend to defeat labor

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to become the mayor of London what

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happens after that is another

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matter now we we do have more CCTV

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cameras in London than any where else on

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the earth I'm not against them myself

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I'm

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not one of these liberals who thinks the

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state should never see should never

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hear but I want to trust the state that

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is hearing and watching I always used to

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say my telephone has been tapped by the

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government since I was 18 years old and

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I never complained about

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that MI5 I've got somebody in this room

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listening to this speech good evening to

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you by the way don't know if you'd like

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to take a

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bow I have no problem with

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that I'm an open book what I stand for

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what I say I've always stood for and I

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said it yesterday and I'll say it again

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tomorrow if you like I'll phone you up

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and tell you what I'm going to say you

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don't have to send an officer along to

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hear it but when Rupert Murdoch tapped

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my phone I sued him and got a lot of

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money thanks very much for it

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because it's one thing it's one thing to

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be

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observed by the country's Security

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Services it's quite something different

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when you're being hacked by a grubby

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dirty sorted tax dodging former

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Australian former British former

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American God knows what he is now it's

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very very different indeed when you're

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being tapped for commercial purposes and

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sometimes I wonder first of all is there

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film in all these CCTV

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cameras there wasn't in the Stockwell

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Underground when John Charles was cruy

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slain and sometimes I wonder when I hear

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that the film wasn't

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there I wonder what the purpose of Big

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Brother really is in all these cameras

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but I must tell you that London's

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traffic congestion problems are real

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they are real and life-threatening

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economy threatening societally

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threatening and we won't be able to do

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away with parking wardens we might be

276
00:13:55,880 --> 00:14:02,839
able to force them to be a bit nicer

277
00:13:59,920 --> 00:14:06,160
a bit more flexible but we won't be able

278
00:14:02,839 --> 00:14:10,680
to do away with them but what we mustn't

279
00:14:06,160 --> 00:14:14,279
have is the use of parking

280
00:14:10,680 --> 00:14:18,199
legislation to generate Revenue that's

281
00:14:14,279 --> 00:14:20,600
not the proper way to generate

282
00:14:18,199 --> 00:14:23,079
revenue and if it's killing local

283
00:14:20,600 --> 00:14:26,480
business in walam store where we were

284
00:14:23,079 --> 00:14:28,279
for example just a few weeks ago they've

285
00:14:26,480 --> 00:14:31,800
introduced something called the mini

286
00:14:28,279 --> 00:14:35,240
Holland scheme which involves the

287
00:14:31,800 --> 00:14:38,519
closure of a huge number of

288
00:14:35,240 --> 00:14:41,199
roads for pedestrians and

289
00:14:38,519 --> 00:14:45,199
cyclists but the small

290
00:14:41,199 --> 00:14:47,839
businesses that depend on cars and

291
00:14:45,199 --> 00:14:50,639
people jumping out the car nipping in

292
00:14:47,839 --> 00:14:54,040
buying something nipping out and taking

293
00:14:50,639 --> 00:14:55,240
off again are being squeezed to death

294
00:14:54,040 --> 00:14:59,279
this is

295
00:14:55,240 --> 00:15:02,079
madness it's crazy to have these

296
00:14:59,279 --> 00:15:04,240
experiments when local people are not

297
00:15:02,079 --> 00:15:07,560
properly consulted and when local

298
00:15:04,240 --> 00:15:10,120
business is being choked to to death I

299
00:15:07,560 --> 00:15:12,519
mean I'm sadik Khan says he's going to

300
00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:14,600
be the most Pro business mayor in

301
00:15:12,519 --> 00:15:17,720
history well I'm going to be the most

302
00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:20,079
Pro worker mayor in history that's

303
00:15:17,720 --> 00:15:23,320
another of the big

304
00:15:20,079 --> 00:15:26,560
differences between

305
00:15:23,320 --> 00:15:29,319
us but I'm in favor of small business

306
00:15:26,560 --> 00:15:31,639
small and mediumsized business is vital

307
00:15:29,319 --> 00:15:34,160
to the health of London and we can't

308
00:15:31,639 --> 00:15:36,279
have parking restrictions choking these

309
00:15:34,160 --> 00:15:39,639
businesses to death we have to be

310
00:15:36,279 --> 00:15:42,240
flexible what's wrong with say you can

311
00:15:39,639 --> 00:15:44,519
park here but only for 20 minutes and

312
00:15:42,240 --> 00:15:46,800
you can park here entirely free for 20

313
00:15:44,519 --> 00:15:49,319
minutes what's wrong with that then

314
00:15:46,800 --> 00:15:51,279
you're allowing people to drop the

315
00:15:49,319 --> 00:15:54,079
husband or the wife off to nip into the

316
00:15:51,279 --> 00:15:56,959
business make the order bring it out or

317
00:15:54,079 --> 00:16:00,199
you're allowing the driver uh to do it

318
00:15:56,959 --> 00:16:02,360
if they are alone so I will look at the

319
00:16:00,199 --> 00:16:05,440
point that you made but I can't promise

320
00:16:02,360 --> 00:16:08,000
you that there will be fewer cameras

321
00:16:05,440 --> 00:16:10,519
because we're living in very difficult

322
00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:13,720
times very difficult times in terms of

323
00:16:10,519 --> 00:16:18,440
the security London is in a very very

324
00:16:13,720 --> 00:16:21,360
grave uh degree of risk and Peril and

325
00:16:18,440 --> 00:16:24,040
once we've invaded Libya trust me it'll

326
00:16:21,360 --> 00:16:24,040
get even more

327
00:16:27,920 --> 00:16:31,639
dangerous just thinking of the time if

328
00:16:30,160 --> 00:16:33,399
we can make these the last three

329
00:16:31,639 --> 00:16:34,680
questions please yeah if you just put

330
00:16:33,399 --> 00:16:37,199
your hand up if you'd like to ask a

331
00:16:34,680 --> 00:16:37,199
question thank

332
00:16:40,199 --> 00:16:45,639
you good evening George um good evening

333
00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:48,240
I'm not from the MI5 uh just

334
00:16:45,639 --> 00:16:51,360
to in fact I'm a minicap driver I'm one

335
00:16:48,240 --> 00:16:54,480
of the uh founders of the uh United

336
00:16:51,360 --> 00:16:56,600
private hire drivers uh group um and

337
00:16:54,480 --> 00:16:58,920
this is a a question but really more of

338
00:16:56,600 --> 00:17:00,839
an appeal an appeal for understanding

339
00:16:58,920 --> 00:17:03,800
and appeal for your help and we can't

340
00:17:00,839 --> 00:17:07,240
wait until May um we need your help now

341
00:17:03,800 --> 00:17:09,240
as well um I like other mini cab drivers

342
00:17:07,240 --> 00:17:12,760
despite what you might hear I'm fully

343
00:17:09,240 --> 00:17:15,799
insured I've got an advanced crb check

344
00:17:12,760 --> 00:17:19,880
um and I uh uh I'm well capable of of

345
00:17:15,799 --> 00:17:22,360
doing my job um but at the moment um uh

346
00:17:19,880 --> 00:17:24,880
tfl are running a consultation to change

347
00:17:22,360 --> 00:17:28,199
the private higher regulations and it's

348
00:17:24,880 --> 00:17:31,520
very punitive um and this is where we

349
00:17:28,199 --> 00:17:35,080
need understand in um let's start with

350
00:17:31,520 --> 00:17:36,520
tfl's board you talk about diversity 53%

351
00:17:35,080 --> 00:17:38,919
of this city comes from Minority

352
00:17:36,520 --> 00:17:41,520
communities well there's not one member

353
00:17:38,919 --> 00:17:43,320
minority uh representation on the board

354
00:17:41,520 --> 00:17:46,559
of tfl have a look at the website when

355
00:17:43,320 --> 00:17:48,799
you go home not one and that starts the

356
00:17:46,559 --> 00:17:51,480
rut starts from the top and it moves

357
00:17:48,799 --> 00:17:53,880
down uh in the private hire regulatory

358
00:17:51,480 --> 00:17:55,880
review we have we have three board

359
00:17:53,880 --> 00:17:58,440
members of tfl that have said this about

360
00:17:55,880 --> 00:18:01,080
our ranks one who was going to be your

361
00:17:58,440 --> 00:18:03,559
opponent in this election Michael liick

362
00:18:01,080 --> 00:18:06,720
he was pipped for the Tory U nomination

363
00:18:03,559 --> 00:18:09,280
by Zach he went with um on an

364
00:18:06,720 --> 00:18:12,400
enforcement Mission and he said he saw

365
00:18:09,280 --> 00:18:15,039
amongst our ranks potential sex

366
00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:18,039
attackers do you know what a potential

367
00:18:15,039 --> 00:18:20,520
sex attacker looks like because I don't

368
00:18:18,039 --> 00:18:23,159
and I think it's an outrageous statement

369
00:18:20,520 --> 00:18:24,880
for a board member of our regulator who

370
00:18:23,159 --> 00:18:27,120
we fund with our taxpayers and our

371
00:18:24,880 --> 00:18:29,480
license fees each year to say that about

372
00:18:27,120 --> 00:18:32,840
us another board member

373
00:18:29,480 --> 00:18:34,760
Steve Wright who represents um uh the

374
00:18:32,840 --> 00:18:38,039
the major mini cab owning firms

375
00:18:34,760 --> 00:18:41,400
including Addison Lee he said about us

376
00:18:38,039 --> 00:18:43,400
that um we shouldn't be giving our money

377
00:18:41,400 --> 00:18:44,760
uh directly into foreign bank accounts

378
00:18:43,400 --> 00:18:45,919
because we're probably going to be

379
00:18:44,760 --> 00:18:48,480
supporting

380
00:18:45,919 --> 00:18:51,559
terrorism uh I think this is outrageous

381
00:18:48,480 --> 00:18:53,120
coming from a tfl board member I'm Irish

382
00:18:51,559 --> 00:18:54,840
I'm not that old but I'm old enough to

383
00:18:53,120 --> 00:18:57,760
remember what this was like for us in

384
00:18:54,840 --> 00:19:03,320
the 80s and 90s and to hear it again uh

385
00:18:57,760 --> 00:19:03,320
for Muslims in 2015 is absolutely

386
00:19:08,600 --> 00:19:12,840
outrageous tfl in these private hire

387
00:19:11,120 --> 00:19:15,280
regulations are proposing that our

388
00:19:12,840 --> 00:19:17,159
details are passed to the Department of

389
00:19:15,280 --> 00:19:18,799
work and pensions because they can

390
00:19:17,159 --> 00:19:21,200
better identify us well they've already

391
00:19:18,799 --> 00:19:22,600
identified Us by licensing us but they

392
00:19:21,200 --> 00:19:24,720
say they need to do this because we

393
00:19:22,600 --> 00:19:27,280
might be benefit sheets this is

394
00:19:24,720 --> 00:19:29,280
outrageous regulatory overreach and it's

395
00:19:27,280 --> 00:19:32,280
defamatory they've also o said that

396
00:19:29,280 --> 00:19:34,960
we're potential tax cheats as well so

397
00:19:32,280 --> 00:19:37,799
we're sex attackers we're terrorists

398
00:19:34,960 --> 00:19:40,000
we're tax Dodgers we're benefit cheets

399
00:19:37,799 --> 00:19:42,120
and all not only this they want to

400
00:19:40,000 --> 00:19:44,840
restrict us to work for one operator at

401
00:19:42,120 --> 00:19:47,320
a time I earn 5 pounds an hour that's

402
00:19:44,840 --> 00:19:50,080
what what the going rate is our guys are

403
00:19:47,320 --> 00:19:51,880
working 18 19 hours a day because that's

404
00:19:50,080 --> 00:19:54,080
what they have to work in order to pay

405
00:19:51,880 --> 00:19:56,640
the rent on their vehicle or to the

406
00:19:54,080 --> 00:19:58,120
local minicap firm at 4:00 this morning

407
00:19:56,640 --> 00:20:00,600
I went up the Cromwell Road and there

408
00:19:58,120 --> 00:20:02,200
was an ADD League Galaxy wrecked and I

409
00:20:00,600 --> 00:20:05,039
have no doubt why that happened it

410
00:20:02,200 --> 00:20:07,960
happened from fatigue no other reason

411
00:20:05,039 --> 00:20:12,960
and I think it's just I I cannot believe

412
00:20:07,960 --> 00:20:15,400
George in 2015 2016 we see 100,000

413
00:20:12,960 --> 00:20:18,039
londoners who have been treated this way

414
00:20:15,400 --> 00:20:19,400
with such disrespect one other board

415
00:20:18,039 --> 00:20:21,320
member let me tell you one other story

416
00:20:19,400 --> 00:20:23,919
and then I'll sit down one other board

417
00:20:21,320 --> 00:20:25,720
member from tfl Isabelle dead ring there

418
00:20:23,919 --> 00:20:28,240
was a story from the stop Heathrow

419
00:20:25,720 --> 00:20:30,120
expansion um group in Heathrow that

420
00:20:28,240 --> 00:20:32,520
driver were defecating in gardens in

421
00:20:30,120 --> 00:20:34,679
Heathrow around the Heathrow area it

422
00:20:32,520 --> 00:20:36,799
never happened there was no evidence but

423
00:20:34,679 --> 00:20:39,799
it was a convenient story and another

424
00:20:36,799 --> 00:20:42,640
way to again demonize a group of people

425
00:20:39,799 --> 00:20:44,919
100,000 harder working people earning

426
00:20:42,640 --> 00:20:46,400
very little money and have no employment

427
00:20:44,919 --> 00:20:49,400
rights whatsoever because we're

428
00:20:46,400 --> 00:20:52,159
allegedly self-employed Isabel deeding

429
00:20:49,400 --> 00:20:54,360
our tfl board member who we fund with

430
00:20:52,159 --> 00:20:57,080
our license fees and our taxpayers went

431
00:20:54,360 --> 00:21:00,240
to the newspapers talking about us

432
00:20:57,080 --> 00:21:02,520
defecating in garden in herro it is

433
00:21:00,240 --> 00:21:04,799
degrading dehumanizing it never happened

434
00:21:02,520 --> 00:21:08,520
there's no proof and it's just another

435
00:21:04,799 --> 00:21:10,919
way for tfl to absolutely demonizes in

436
00:21:08,520 --> 00:21:13,360
one more example in the statement in the

437
00:21:10,919 --> 00:21:15,919
in the private higher regulations tfl

438
00:21:13,360 --> 00:21:19,279
said they need to monitor us not monitor

439
00:21:15,919 --> 00:21:20,960
us just for enforcement but for I quote

440
00:21:19,279 --> 00:21:23,480
behavioral

441
00:21:20,960 --> 00:21:26,320
indiscretions this kind of treatment

442
00:21:23,480 --> 00:21:29,080
this disrespect from tfl it needs to

443
00:21:26,320 --> 00:21:31,120
stop George it needs to stop not in

444
00:21:29,080 --> 00:21:34,320
it needs to stop now and we need your

445
00:21:31,120 --> 00:21:34,320
help to do that will you help

446
00:21:35,039 --> 00:21:39,960
us okay so that was the first of three

447
00:21:37,760 --> 00:21:41,760
questions if I could ask the next two

448
00:21:39,960 --> 00:21:45,360
questions please just ask a question

449
00:21:41,760 --> 00:21:45,360
because we're just a push for time thank

450
00:21:51,640 --> 00:21:56,559
you good evening the buffoon which is

451
00:21:54,919 --> 00:21:59,480
the current mayor of London as you

452
00:21:56,559 --> 00:22:02,960
alluded to earlier on went to Israel a

453
00:21:59,480 --> 00:22:05,240
few weeks ago uh for his trade Mission

454
00:22:02,960 --> 00:22:08,279
as the mayor of London what would you do

455
00:22:05,240 --> 00:22:10,440
to boost the Palestinian course and show

456
00:22:08,279 --> 00:22:13,679
that we are in solidarity with with them

457
00:22:10,440 --> 00:22:15,679
over there thank

458
00:22:13,679 --> 00:22:19,679
you one

459
00:22:15,679 --> 00:22:23,000
more George uh you discuss about this uh

460
00:22:19,679 --> 00:22:25,360
parking restrictions in Bor of brand in

461
00:22:23,000 --> 00:22:28,480
my opinion I think the brand is one of

462
00:22:25,360 --> 00:22:30,600
the worst borrow where they have the

463
00:22:28,480 --> 00:22:33,440
restrictions now I don't understand it

464
00:22:30,600 --> 00:22:36,200
that one street you go there 6 hours a

465
00:22:33,440 --> 00:22:38,440
day parking restrictions and the next

466
00:22:36,200 --> 00:22:41,000
street you go there is only about 3

467
00:22:38,440 --> 00:22:43,840
hours a day uh it doesn't make no sense

468
00:22:41,000 --> 00:22:46,919
at all so do you think that you will do

469
00:22:43,840 --> 00:22:50,600
something about it to curve this uh

470
00:22:46,919 --> 00:22:54,960
restrictions or you know just finish it

471
00:22:50,600 --> 00:22:57,080
off completely okay thank you well um

472
00:22:54,960 --> 00:22:59,159
parking restrictions are of course under

473
00:22:57,080 --> 00:23:02,320
the control of the

474
00:22:59,159 --> 00:23:07,279
uh London burrow of Haro and Brent and

475
00:23:02,320 --> 00:23:10,840
the mayor has no power on it except this

476
00:23:07,279 --> 00:23:13,640
Rel relates to the second question also

477
00:23:10,840 --> 00:23:16,880
except the power of the pull pit I can

478
00:23:13,640 --> 00:23:19,520
say this in a church uh

479
00:23:16,880 --> 00:23:22,919
unequivocally the mayor of London has a

480
00:23:19,520 --> 00:23:25,720
pull pit like no other it is the largest

481
00:23:22,919 --> 00:23:28,840
direct election in Europe with the

482
00:23:25,720 --> 00:23:31,919
exception of the president of France no

483
00:23:28,840 --> 00:23:34,679
other leader in the whole of Europe is

484
00:23:31,919 --> 00:23:37,000
elected directly by more people than the

485
00:23:34,679 --> 00:23:39,559
mayor of London that's a hell of a

486
00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:42,080
mandate it allows you to speak directly

487
00:23:39,559 --> 00:23:44,720
to the Prime Minister it certainly

488
00:23:42,080 --> 00:23:49,240
allows you to speak directly if not down

489
00:23:44,720 --> 00:23:52,679
to the leader of baras and

490
00:23:49,240 --> 00:23:55,240
counselors and I will use that power to

491
00:23:52,679 --> 00:23:58,000
the best of my ability and I think you

492
00:23:55,240 --> 00:24:01,120
probably know that when I'm speaking

493
00:23:58,000 --> 00:24:04,120
people tend to listen if they don't I

494
00:24:01,120 --> 00:24:08,440
just turn up the volume and I don't need

495
00:24:04,120 --> 00:24:12,760
a microphone for that either akib if

496
00:24:08,440 --> 00:24:15,159
he's our member of the GLA will have a

497
00:24:12,760 --> 00:24:18,840
powerful role in relation to the town

498
00:24:15,159 --> 00:24:22,080
hall but we will have to change Town

499
00:24:18,840 --> 00:24:24,520
Halls too I personally think we've got

500
00:24:22,080 --> 00:24:27,760
too many town halls I think we've got

501
00:24:24,520 --> 00:24:29,760
too many baras got too many directors

502
00:24:27,760 --> 00:24:32,080
deputy director dors assistant Deputy

503
00:24:29,760 --> 00:24:34,720
directors assistant assistant Deputy

504
00:24:32,080 --> 00:24:39,399
directors and so on I don't think that

505
00:24:34,720 --> 00:24:43,480
we need all of these for me I've always

506
00:24:39,399 --> 00:24:45,200
lived in South London or North London

507
00:24:43,480 --> 00:24:48,559
maybe I'll see I live in northwest

508
00:24:45,200 --> 00:24:53,159
London as it happens I live literally on

509
00:24:48,559 --> 00:24:57,279
the border of uh Hammersmith and Fulham

510
00:24:53,159 --> 00:24:58,960
and Brent and Harrow but I'm only 5

511
00:24:57,279 --> 00:25:01,919
minutes away from

512
00:24:58,960 --> 00:25:06,360
Kensington and uh

513
00:25:01,919 --> 00:25:08,600
Chelsea I don't place myself in any

514
00:25:06,360 --> 00:25:11,039
specific burough I live in an area of

515
00:25:08,600 --> 00:25:13,520
London and I believe that substantial

516
00:25:11,039 --> 00:25:16,120
cost savings can be made we've got too

517
00:25:13,520 --> 00:25:18,320
many counselors and we've got too many

518
00:25:16,120 --> 00:25:20,480
Council officials for all the good that

519
00:25:18,320 --> 00:25:22,360
they've been doing but that's my

520
00:25:20,480 --> 00:25:25,840
personal point of view I don't have

521
00:25:22,360 --> 00:25:28,520
power to bring it about uh but as long

522
00:25:25,840 --> 00:25:32,440
as these Burrows exist I promise you

523
00:25:28,520 --> 00:25:35,200
I'll be using the bully pull pit on the

524
00:25:32,440 --> 00:25:41,120
housing issue on traffic and traffic

525
00:25:35,200 --> 00:25:45,440
management issues uh with some power um

526
00:25:41,120 --> 00:25:48,480
I made clear earlier I think I have

527
00:25:45,440 --> 00:25:50,559
since the summer of

528
00:25:48,480 --> 00:25:53,120
1975 which is not

529
00:25:50,559 --> 00:25:56,679
yesterday been involved in the

530
00:25:53,120 --> 00:26:00,279
Palestinian cause I promised the

531
00:25:56,679 --> 00:26:03,919
refugees in Lebanon on in

532
00:26:00,279 --> 00:26:06,960
1977 that as long as God gives me breath

533
00:26:03,919 --> 00:26:09,440
I will speak for them anywhere and

534
00:26:06,960 --> 00:26:12,080
everywhere and that's a promise I have

535
00:26:09,440 --> 00:26:15,640
kept and I don't think that there is

536
00:26:12,080 --> 00:26:18,440
anywhere a stronger voice for the

537
00:26:15,640 --> 00:26:23,360
Palestinian people uh anywhere in public

538
00:26:18,440 --> 00:26:23,360
life than me I know the

539
00:26:24,679 --> 00:26:30,039
uh thank you I think Netanyahu would

540
00:26:27,720 --> 00:26:33,039
probably say the same

541
00:26:30,039 --> 00:26:36,080
thing I will not I have no power to and

542
00:26:33,039 --> 00:26:39,480
I don't intend to stop any Israeli from

543
00:26:36,080 --> 00:26:42,399
coming to London or buying in London or

544
00:26:39,480 --> 00:26:44,080
investing in London I've have I have no

545
00:26:42,399 --> 00:26:48,240
intentions in that

546
00:26:44,080 --> 00:26:51,760
regards but I will not lead a delegation

547
00:26:48,240 --> 00:26:53,799
to Tel Aviv I will not visit Tel Aviv if

548
00:26:51,760 --> 00:26:56,320
the mayor of Tel Aviv comes here he

549
00:26:53,799 --> 00:26:58,919
won't be meeting me he won't be entering

550
00:26:56,320 --> 00:27:03,840
the town hall because

551
00:26:58,919 --> 00:27:09,279
we are against aparte we were against it

552
00:27:03,840 --> 00:27:12,760
in South Africa I was myself for a time

553
00:27:09,279 --> 00:27:15,520
Underground in aparte South Africa

554
00:27:12,760 --> 00:27:18,000
working for the Liberation movement for

555
00:27:15,520 --> 00:27:21,760
the African National Congress then led

556
00:27:18,000 --> 00:27:25,640
by the great Nelson Mandela and by the

557
00:27:21,760 --> 00:27:28,440
way every person helping me in my

558
00:27:25,640 --> 00:27:31,159
mission every house I slept in every I

559
00:27:28,440 --> 00:27:33,760
was driven in every meal I ate every

560
00:27:31,159 --> 00:27:36,640
Rand that was put in my pocket came from

561
00:27:33,760 --> 00:27:39,679
Jewish members of the African National

562
00:27:36,640 --> 00:27:43,799
Congress some of the great Heroes of

563
00:27:39,679 --> 00:27:46,200
thec were and are Jews so Jews don't

564
00:27:43,799 --> 00:27:49,279
have to choose aparte they can be

565
00:27:46,200 --> 00:27:51,840
against aparte in South Africa they were

566
00:27:49,279 --> 00:27:57,960
against aparte and we need them to be

567
00:27:51,840 --> 00:27:57,960
against aparte in Israel uh too

568
00:28:02,360 --> 00:28:08,840
our friend from the private high drivers

569
00:28:05,120 --> 00:28:11,080
Union with whom I'm already uh

570
00:28:08,840 --> 00:28:12,720
cooperating I made a powerful and

571
00:28:11,080 --> 00:28:16,399
heartfelt

572
00:28:12,720 --> 00:28:22,440
plea um and it's part of the big picture

573
00:28:16,399 --> 00:28:25,799
I tried to allude to earlier nobody in

574
00:28:22,440 --> 00:28:28,640
London can be allowed to work for5 an

575
00:28:25,799 --> 00:28:33,720
hour that's not even the national

576
00:28:28,640 --> 00:28:34,880
minimum wage still less is it the London

577
00:28:33,720 --> 00:28:38,039
living

578
00:28:34,880 --> 00:28:41,399
wage and I've

579
00:28:38,039 --> 00:28:44,240
pledged that if your

580
00:28:41,399 --> 00:28:47,559
employer is paying less than the London

581
00:28:44,240 --> 00:28:50,399
living wage of £940 an hour they will

582
00:28:47,559 --> 00:28:53,320
not be doing any business with us they

583
00:28:50,399 --> 00:28:58,120
will not receive one penny piece from

584
00:28:53,320 --> 00:29:02,559
tfl or any of the meril Departments so

585
00:28:58,120 --> 00:29:05,559
so this will act I believe as a

586
00:29:02,559 --> 00:29:08,039
tremendous upward pressure on wages

587
00:29:05,559 --> 00:29:10,640
because frankly many of these companies

588
00:29:08,039 --> 00:29:14,399
will not want to lose the opportunity to

589
00:29:10,640 --> 00:29:17,120
Tender for work from tfl and from the

590
00:29:14,399 --> 00:29:20,799
mayor because there's far more profit to

591
00:29:17,120 --> 00:29:22,960
be made from doing such business but we

592
00:29:20,799 --> 00:29:25,240
our whole budget is going to be on the

593
00:29:22,960 --> 00:29:28,760
blockchain which means that people will

594
00:29:25,240 --> 00:29:31,399
see in real time online

595
00:29:28,760 --> 00:29:33,960
every penny of the 18 billion

596
00:29:31,399 --> 00:29:35,960
expenditure I mean every penny so if I

597
00:29:33,960 --> 00:29:39,880
take as I

598
00:29:35,960 --> 00:29:41,760
want akib for dinner in a Chinese

599
00:29:39,880 --> 00:29:44,240
restaurant in Tuli

600
00:29:41,760 --> 00:29:46,480
Street you're going to know that I'm

601
00:29:44,240 --> 00:29:50,120
there that I used the mayor's credit

602
00:29:46,480 --> 00:29:54,120
card that my guest was akib and that

603
00:29:50,120 --> 00:29:56,760
Numbers 22 and 45 on the menu cost us 18

604
00:29:54,120 --> 00:29:59,440
quid and you're going to be able to say

605
00:29:56,760 --> 00:30:01,519
why did you take him

606
00:29:59,440 --> 00:30:03,799
and why did you take him to that

607
00:30:01,519 --> 00:30:05,679
restaurant and you've been twice in that

608
00:30:03,799 --> 00:30:08,720
restaurant this week shouldn't you be

609
00:30:05,679 --> 00:30:13,360
spreading the love a little bit all of

610
00:30:08,720 --> 00:30:16,960
that will be doable on the mayor's

611
00:30:13,360 --> 00:30:19,760
chain and so nobody will get paid less

612
00:30:16,960 --> 00:30:22,000
than £940 an hour if they either work

613
00:30:19,760 --> 00:30:24,519
for me or they work for a company that's

614
00:30:22,000 --> 00:30:29,399
doing business with me and that will be

615
00:30:24,519 --> 00:30:33,559
an upward pressure on wages of some

616
00:30:29,399 --> 00:30:37,200
significance but the issue remains with

617
00:30:33,559 --> 00:30:40,679
all respect to the very eloquent Irish

618
00:30:37,200 --> 00:30:43,399
man being half an Irish man myself I

619
00:30:40,679 --> 00:30:47,880
recognize an eloquent Irishman and I

620
00:30:43,399 --> 00:30:51,399
salute him but for all the uh eloquence

621
00:30:47,880 --> 00:30:54,880
that he mastered he missed my point

622
00:30:51,399 --> 00:30:58,200
there are two many cab drivers in

623
00:30:54,880 --> 00:31:00,360
London and just by licensing more and

624
00:30:58,200 --> 00:31:02,480
more and more of them all you're

625
00:31:00,360 --> 00:31:03,279
actually doing is driving the wages down

626
00:31:02,480 --> 00:31:06,080
and

627
00:31:03,279 --> 00:31:09,639
down and we can't have that I believe in

628
00:31:06,080 --> 00:31:11,639
standards I'm a trade unionist I believe

629
00:31:09,639 --> 00:31:15,880
that we have to have

630
00:31:11,639 --> 00:31:19,880
floors on our income and we have to seek

631
00:31:15,880 --> 00:31:22,240
always to be raising that floor and you

632
00:31:19,880 --> 00:31:24,399
can't do that if you're under cutting

633
00:31:22,240 --> 00:31:26,600
and undercutting and under the Asian

634
00:31:24,399 --> 00:31:28,399
people here know what I'm talking about

635
00:31:26,600 --> 00:31:30,320
how many restaurants have got another

636
00:31:28,399 --> 00:31:32,279
restaurant next door to it and another

637
00:31:30,320 --> 00:31:34,799
one two doors down from it how many

638
00:31:32,279 --> 00:31:38,799
shops have got an exact same shop next

639
00:31:34,799 --> 00:31:42,200
to it that way lies ruin competition it

640
00:31:38,799 --> 00:31:44,600
lose it it's called competition but it's

641
00:31:42,200 --> 00:31:48,039
not rational

642
00:31:44,600 --> 00:31:51,000
competition and neither is the current

643
00:31:48,039 --> 00:31:52,120
state of Taxi Licensing in London it's

644
00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:55,080
not

645
00:31:52,120 --> 00:31:59,240
rational and that's why wages are

646
00:31:55,080 --> 00:32:01,919
plummeting black cab drivers have lost

647
00:31:59,240 --> 00:32:04,320
40% of their

648
00:32:01,919 --> 00:32:07,480
income and they are

649
00:32:04,320 --> 00:32:10,919
taxpayers they are insured they have to

650
00:32:07,480 --> 00:32:13,519
pass all the tests they are regularly

651
00:32:10,919 --> 00:32:16,320
inspected flaged down and

652
00:32:13,519 --> 00:32:18,679
inspected and they have to achieve

653
00:32:16,320 --> 00:32:22,559
certain standards they have to have a

654
00:32:18,679 --> 00:32:26,399
certain uh grade of car and all the rest

655
00:32:22,559 --> 00:32:30,200
and their wages have fallen by 40% why

656
00:32:26,399 --> 00:32:33,360
because tfl has licensed far too many

657
00:32:30,200 --> 00:32:36,039
vehicles which is driving down wages for

658
00:32:33,360 --> 00:32:38,760
everybody driving down I believe

659
00:32:36,039 --> 00:32:42,320
standards of course I don't believe that

660
00:32:38,760 --> 00:32:45,600
your members are uh potential sex

661
00:32:42,320 --> 00:32:49,440
offenders whatever that might mean or

662
00:32:45,600 --> 00:32:51,960
potential tax Dodgers it' be better

663
00:32:49,440 --> 00:32:55,519
parking in the city of London to look

664
00:32:51,960 --> 00:32:59,799
for potential tax Dodgers that would be

665
00:32:55,519 --> 00:33:02,360
a far more profitable way of raising

666
00:32:59,799 --> 00:33:04,639
revenue I don't believe

667
00:33:02,360 --> 00:33:07,440
that what I believe is we need a

668
00:33:04,639 --> 00:33:10,880
rational plan and if I'm the mayor I'll

669
00:33:07,440 --> 00:33:15,159
put one together about how many black

670
00:33:10,880 --> 00:33:22,080
cabs we can have how many private hire

671
00:33:15,159 --> 00:33:25,480
cabs we can have but Uber is a 50

672
00:33:22,080 --> 00:33:28,519
billion American Business headquartered

673
00:33:25,480 --> 00:33:30,840
in Amsterdam that don't pay any tax at

674
00:33:28,519 --> 00:33:34,519
all and even deny that they're a taxi

675
00:33:30,840 --> 00:33:36,480
company we're just an app they say all

676
00:33:34,519 --> 00:33:39,279
we provide is an app for your phone

677
00:33:36,480 --> 00:33:41,760
making everybody in here you could all

678
00:33:39,279 --> 00:33:45,000
get an app you could all be cab

679
00:33:41,760 --> 00:33:46,679
drivers you might not know the way from

680
00:33:45,000 --> 00:33:50,039
here to

681
00:33:46,679 --> 00:33:53,080
Haron but you can be you can get an app

682
00:33:50,039 --> 00:33:55,440
and you can say you're a cab driver you

683
00:33:53,080 --> 00:33:57,320
may be a rogue or a rascal or you may

684
00:33:55,440 --> 00:33:59,880
give the app to your brother or your

685
00:33:57,320 --> 00:34:01,960
brother in-law or your cousin or your

686
00:33:59,880 --> 00:34:06,639
neighbor and he can drive about with

687
00:34:01,960 --> 00:34:11,520
your app we can't have that we have to

688
00:34:06,639 --> 00:34:14,359
maintain discipline and Order and

689
00:34:11,520 --> 00:34:18,839
standards because I hear this all the

690
00:34:14,359 --> 00:34:21,200
time competition burn the red tape get

691
00:34:18,839 --> 00:34:22,879
rid of rules and regulations I'll tell

692
00:34:21,200 --> 00:34:26,399
you where that

693
00:34:22,879 --> 00:34:30,839
ends it ends in the

694
00:34:26,399 --> 00:34:33,440
disaster at Thorp Park was it Thorp Park

695
00:34:30,839 --> 00:34:35,960
recently tow Alton

696
00:34:33,440 --> 00:34:37,040
Towers strike that from the record it

697
00:34:35,960 --> 00:34:39,480
wasn't

698
00:34:37,040 --> 00:34:41,960
Thorp it was Alton Towers that's where

699
00:34:39,480 --> 00:34:44,599
it ends that's where burning the

700
00:34:41,960 --> 00:34:48,480
regulations ends that's where tearing up

701
00:34:44,599 --> 00:34:51,440
health and safety ends it ends with your

702
00:34:48,480 --> 00:34:53,320
kids shooting off the end of a

703
00:34:51,440 --> 00:34:56,040
Fairground R because it hasn't been

704
00:34:53,320 --> 00:34:59,200
properly maintained and there hasn't

705
00:34:56,040 --> 00:35:00,160
been the discipline lied to it it's a

706
00:34:59,200 --> 00:35:03,240
big

707
00:35:00,160 --> 00:35:06,160
subject I don't have time to go on

708
00:35:03,240 --> 00:35:10,640
longer I'll just say this in

709
00:35:06,160 --> 00:35:14,280
closing the gap between rich and poor in

710
00:35:10,640 --> 00:35:17,320
London today is wider than it was when

711
00:35:14,280 --> 00:35:18,599
Charles Dickens wrote Oliver Twist

712
00:35:17,320 --> 00:35:23,480
that's

713
00:35:18,599 --> 00:35:27,040
official I myself obtained information

714
00:35:23,480 --> 00:35:31,520
as an answer to a parliamentary question

715
00:35:27,040 --> 00:35:36,119
now under the last eight years of Tori

716
00:35:31,520 --> 00:35:39,680
Boris Johnson that Gap has widened still

717
00:35:36,119 --> 00:35:44,480
further if I'm the mayor that Gap will

718
00:35:39,680 --> 00:35:44,480
close thanks very much indeed for coming