Copycat Ken Strikes Again - Hughes

6.07.57pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 4th May 2004

Commenting on the reports that Mr Livingstone is set to adopt many of the Liberal Democrat proposals on the Congestion charge, including pre-pay, scrapping it between Christmas and New Year and ending the charge earlier, Lib Dem Mayoral candidate, Simon Hughes, said:- "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and with the adoption of many of our proposals on the Congestion Charge, Mr Livingstone has belated embraced Lib Dem ideas."

"However, Londoners must ask the question, should they vote for an outgoing Mayor who steals other candidates policies, or a candidate who has new, exciting ideas to make London united?"

"It is time for a fresh direction to get congestion charging working for all Londoners rather than against them; to improve their lives rather than making them a misery; encouraging shoppers back to London streets and prevent law abiding motorists from being unnecessarily fined by Capita."

"While the blinkered Tories fail to accept the benefits of the scheme, and Blair's Mayor wants to overextend the zone, the Liberal Democrats want to increase the benefits and reduce the problems and make it work for London."

ENDS

Mr Hughes put forward last month a five point plan to make the congestion charge easier:-

• EXTEND the period for paying at the normal rate up to midnight and for all of the following day;

• INTRODUCE block purchasing/pre pay of C-charge passes;

• GIVE five free goes into the Congestion charge zone;

• SCRAP the C-Charge between Christmas and New Year;

• HALT any expansion of the scheme into Kensington and Chelsea.