Ken Livingstone launches Progressive London

Ken Livingstone today announced the establishment of a new coalition, Progressive London, to promote progressive policies in the city.

Progressive London will hold a conference on 24 January next year addressing the key issues to keep London at the cutting edge of the world today, including the international financial crisis, culture and art and community relations.

Speakers representing all strands of London life including from the Labour Party, the Liberal Democrats and the Greens, trade union leaders, intellectuals such as Eric Hobsbawm, artists, cultural practitioners, community activists and city government experts.

Progressive London will also campaign to cancel this coming January's above-inflation fare increase with a Fare Deal campaign. The Mayor has axed over ten major transport projects but announced that fares would rise above inflation for the next 8 years.

Ken Livingstone said: “The international financial crisis means that to sustain London as the best city in the world and protect living standards we need more public investment in areas like transport, good housing and improving the environment while, for example, holding down fares and promoting the city's international openness and multicultural dynamism.

“This whole approach is challenged by the London Mayor undermining London's prosperity and pursuing policies like cutting transport investment and pushing up fares for ordinary Londoners while letting Chelsea tractors clog the roads and poison the city's air.

“Progressive London will bring together all Londoners who want their city to lead the world in the 21st century and protect their quality of life at a time when every penny counts.”

Ken Livingstone has set out an eight point plan to help London meet the recession, calling for a reversal of cuts to London's tourism budget and the allocation of a further £5million a year for the next two years to promote the visitor-economy; more support for responsible developers in the West End including on the route of Crossrail to encourage investment; cancelling the unnecessary fares increase; public sector intervention in the building of affordable homes and the retention of the policy that fifty per cent of new homes should be affordable; pressing on with transport infrastructure projects and reorganising the mayor's office functions dealing with transport and business; reinstating the central role of regeneration and economic development in the 2012 Olympics; ensuring no reduction in London Development Agency spending; and strengthening London's presence in the new emerging markets - above all India and China.