Charlie Wolf

A no-brainer and a not-so nno-brainer looms on polling day

Thursday 26th 2012f April 2012

It is pretty clear by now, for a variety of reasons, that the Jewish community should not - and will not - be voting for Ken Livingstone next Thursday.

As I wrote last week, his attempts to curry favour with the community have been pathetic at best. They are shallow attempts that are transparently nothing more than political opportunism.

His are the politics of division and class warfare and they have no place in London. He is also no friend of the state of Israel. Although that does not matter, as the mayor does not represent the government in foreign relations with other countries (that's the lamentable job of the current Foreign Secretary); his stance on Israel does matter to the extent that it is an indication of Livingstone’s character.

His stance on Israel shows a man with a muddled sense of reasoning.
Israel aside, as Londoners, there are too many reasons to not vote for Ken. His promise to cut tube fares - as appealing as that sounds - are nothing more than a bribe. My friend, the former Transport Minister and mayoral candidate, Steve Norris, tore apart Ken's transport plans one night while we were both on Iain Dale’s LBC programme at the Tory conference. Ken's numbers don't add up. A return to Ken Livingstone would be a disaster.

As for the others on the ballot paper, Jenny Jones is a minor player and Green
politics are a left-wing sham. A major city like London is no place to experiment with environmental socialism. Brian Paddick is a good and honourable man but I don't think he has the experience. Boris deserves the vote because he has proven himself more than capable.

I am sure Boris is not perfect, and many liberal Jews would not agree with all his policies. But Boris has stood up for the City of London and understands business. Unlike Ken, he has embraced all who live in London, especially our Jewish community. He represents London ably both here and abroad.
What is not such a no-brainer is who to vote to the London Assembly for Barnet and Camden. Incumbent Brian Coleman is being challenged by former Hendon Labour MP Andrew Dismore.

If one’s position on Israel is of no matter in selecting a mayor, then it surely is of no importance for a London Assembly member.

But it must be noted that Brian Coleman and Andrew Dismore are both firm friends of Israel and the Jewish community. If that were not proof enough, in Coleman's case I had always mistakenly supposed him to be a Jew.
Dismore, as he is quoted on page two of this week’s newspaper as stating, "stood up for Israel during all the time, even when Israel was doing unpopular things and people in my own party [like Livingstone] were attacking it".

For their respect and friendship to the Jewish community and their pro-Israel credentials, both have a more than admirable track record.
But I have been troubled by Brian Coleman over the past year - his attitude to parking especially. To be fair Barnet, like most councils, has suffered from the dire economy. We need someone who is single minded and tough, who can swallow the bitter pill as much as the rest of us do not want to feel the pain. Coleman has taken some tough and unpopular decisions and that is applauded.

But, on others issues, he has gone too far - displaying not toughness but arrogance. Telephone parking is in itself a good thing. I do find it convenient. But it was introduced in a way that has caused too much difficulty, especially to the elderly.

I've written in the past of traffic wardens feasting on elderly drivers (who do not own mobile phones) outside my doctor’s surgery, when they are already stressed to begin with. High street merchants have seen the rise in parking charges take a toll on their businesses. Ultimately, the job of the council is to serve those of us who pay our council tax - not the other way around.
I get the impression Brian Coleman has forgotten that principle.

Whatever your party allegiances or political preferences, I urge you to vote next week. I do hope that my Labour friends will understand that a vote for Ken Livingstone will not further their cause but hurt their city and community. This is more than political partisanship. We must stand together to reject him.

As for the London Assembly and the future of Brian Coleman, I will be thinking long and hard between now and polling day.