Simon Says - 100 Days Left To Vote For A Mayor In Nobody's Pocket

8.22.00pm GMT Tue 2nd Mar 2004

With just 100 days to go before the London Mayoral elections, Liberal Democrat Mayoral candidate Simon Hughes will today call for Londoners to vote for a fresh start for the capital on 10th June.

Speaking from the Horniman Museum in Lewisham on his campaign visit to the Borough, Mr Hughes called on Londoners to make Mr Livingstone a thing of the past. During the visit he highlighted the latest figures that show London 11th out of 15 Western cities in the quality of life league. Only Athens, Milan, Rome and Lisbon were worse.

Simon said:- "For more than twenty years London has been run by either Mr Livingstone at the GLC, Mr Norris as Minister for London, or Mr Livingstone again as Mayor. Yet residents of our great city have some of the worst quality of life of any of the major Western city."

"There can be no excuses from Mr Livingstone or Mr Norris. It has been their responsibility to make London a better place. Their double act leadership of London has failed and London should move on."

"With just 100 days to go until the Mayoral elections it is time for people to stand up, be counted and vote the past out of office. It is now time for a Mayor who is in nobody's pocket to fight for a better London."

"It is time for Londoners to vote for a Mayor who is not in the pocket of the trade unions like the RMT or a big business like Jarvis."

"London needs a fresh, exciting and dynamic alternative who stops blaming things on past under investment and under performance and gets on with the job of making sure our capital is a truly world class city."

ENDS

Notes to editor

Mr Hughes has launched his latest viral e-advert. This can be found at:-

<http://www.2020london.co.uk/libdems/21Reasons.html>

The survey for Mercer Human Resource Consulting published on Monday found that London was ranked 11th out of 15 European cities, just above Milan, Rome, Lisbon and Athens.