Lib Dem Mayoral hopefuls address EMLD hustings

The contest to become Liberal Democrat candidate for London Mayor moved into the home straight this month with a focus on race equality issues.

The four hopefuls gathered at the frayed, but historic surroundings of the Africa Centre in Covent Garden for a hustings organised by the Ethnic Minority Liberal Democrats.

Reality TV star and ex-MP Lembit Opik, 2008 mayoral candidate Brian Paddick, City Hall Assembly Mmber Mike Tuffery and recycling expert Brian Haley addressed an audience that included many Black and Asian party members.

After a fortnight of hustings, all four would-be candidates are very much in their stride now, putting in able performances that play up their individual unique selling points.

The hopefuls were asked how they had personally demonstrated zero tolerance against racism. Paddick, who rose to prominence as the openly-gay and popular police commander in Lambeth, reminded the audience about a demonstration demanding his reinstatement after being suspended from his post, and said he had "proved by my actions that I can be trusted by the black and ethnic minority community."

He added that he backed Black and Asian police officers who were encountering problems in the force "100 percent of the time."

Opik responded that he had challenged racism within the Lib Dems. "One of the things that disturbs me about the party is that despite the words on our membership card, I see prejudice within our own party. I try to challenge it, it's utterly unacceptable."

Opik added: "Multiculturalism underpins what makes this country great. I don't ask Black people to vote for me. I want people to vote for me, and so if I behave in a way you want me to behave then maybe I'm the right candidate."

Haley, a senior councillor who defected from Labour last year and the only person of colour in the contest, said his background would make him the most interesting candidate in the media's eyes." He also laid into Operation Trident, saying that it smacked of a "containment field" for inner city gun crime rather than an attempt to eliminate the problem. He would like to see the police unit widened to tackle all gun crime, regardless of which race was involved.

Tuffery, who has two decades of experience in London politics, said that he frequently encounters prejudiced views when telephone canvassing, and always challenges such attitudes rather than take the "easy option" and agree for the sake of a vote.

Tuffery said there was a "real danger" of the contest not addressing issues that young people cared about, and he said that the London mayor should run policies past a panel of youth before implementing them. Paddick said that during the last campaign he was the only mayoral contender to visit school assemblies.

All four candidates highlighted areas of policy that set them apart from other rivals, while maintaining a good rapport with each other.

One questioner asked whether the quartet had any skeletons in their closet. Not surprisingly there were none, and Paddick quipped: "My skeletons and I have been out of the closet for some time!"

Haley was the most improved contender from the previous hustings I attended in Wimbledon. He spoke with passion on a range of subjects and even though some of his ideas - such as more bobbies on the beat - needed to be beefed up with more of a sense about how objectives will be achieved, he displayed strength on a range of topics such as housing policy.

In truth, there was little to pick between all four runners this time around.

Cllr Lester Holloway