Speeches and letters

Why I am standing for Mayor

"London is a great city. It has been my home all my working life. It is where I met my wife. It's where we married. And it's where our children were born and grew up. Our children went to local state schools and youth clubs. Like us, they went to local doctors and hospitals.

But I believe London has some major problems which need tackling now. Problems such as crime, poor transport and poverty. It's the job of the Mayor to help solve these problems imaginatively and effectively. And I believe, as Mayor, I would get the job done.

If you look at London today, you'll see that much of its strength comes from its diversity. Many here are Londoners born and bred, but many of those who add to the richness of the city are those who have come here to study or work.

The Mayor has a duty to work on behalf of all Londoners. For those who are achieving great things in business, the arts or sports. For those raising families. And for those fighting a daily battle against discrimination and unemployment.

Like other Londoners I've experienced the running down of our trains and buses, I've seen the homeless in their cardboard boxes and I've felt the insecurity on the streets as drugs and crime have flourished.

And, like every other Londoner, I am sick of it.

That's why I want to take this once in a lifetime opportunity to do something about it and pay back my debt to London.

I want London to be a healthy and prosperous city - where the trains work and the streets are clean. Where women feel safe to travel at night and old people feel safe in their homes. A city where there are good jobs and good schools.

As Mayor, I will tackle crime, improve transport and bring new prosperity and jobs to the city.

I put crime first because crime - and the fear of it - is at the heart of many of London's problems. For example:

• I want more people to travel by public transport. But they won't if they are afraid of being assaulted. Dark, empty stations and long echoing walkways drive passengers away.

• Too many old people don't feel safe on the streets where they have lived for years. That stops them going out in an area that should be as welcoming as their own front room.

• Many people continue to suffer intimidation and assault at work. Whether they are ambulance or shop workers, teachers or bus drivers, they deserve better protection.

On transport, we all know the problems with the tubes, trains and buses and we know it will take a lot of money to sort them out. Yet the solution is in our own hands. The City of London already provides billions for public transport investment in other cities around Europe. Why not get the City to invest to solve London's own transport problems?

London already has a great reputation in a wide range of modern industries from education to e-commerce, from medicine to media, from the arts to accountancy. We are world-beaters in these fields and many others. We should exploit these strengths, making sure all Londoners share in the benefits.

London needs a Mayor who will not only talk a good job but also do a good job. That is something I have been doing for London and for the Labour Party for many years. My track record proves I can deliver the leadership London needs.

Contributing to my own neighbourhood

I have always believed in playing my part locally. After 30 years, I remain an active member of the management committee of our local play area, Coram's Fields. So I know that practical things, such as a set of new all-weather pitches, make a real difference.

The neighbourhoods around where I live are always a target for property developers. Over the years, I have had to fight to protect the very existence of Covent Garden and other communities. But the communities are still there today - thanks to our campaigns.

One person alone cannot do something like this. It needs leadership, but it also needs the involvement of local groups and others in deciding what should be done. That way you get a good result, one that lasts. That's my way.

Leading Camden

I became a councillor in 1971, the year London's parks and open spaces were transferred from the GLC to local councils. Some were derelict and they were often small. But to those who lived around them, they had potential as green spaces.

As the chair of the responsible committee at the time, I wanted to put the spaces to good use. But I was also the father of three young children. The result for me? Weekends with my wife, pram and kids visiting dots on the A-Z by bus. The result for local people? New gardens, play areas and small parks, many of which are still used and valued today.

As the council Leader I drove through a huge programme of house building and renovation in Camden. The homes we created then still serve thousands of families today. Many of the thousands of street trees we planted then still blossom in the spring. Thousands still walk and cycle along the Regents Canal towpath we opened to the public.

Looking after London

As the Shadow Minister for London in the mid-90s I formulated many of the policies the Government is now implementing in London. For example, I drew up the proposals for establishing the new GLA and the position of Mayor.

In 1994, after the BNP won a council seat in Millwall, John Smith gave me the task of ensuring we rapidly snuffed out the threat of elected racism. I was not the only one who took it seriously. With the support of many members of the Labour Party and a well-conducted campaign we won back the seat and halted the BNP's electoral ambitions. I have never been more proud to be Labour than I was that night.

Strategic thinking also delivers results. As Secretary of State for Health in Tony Blair's Government, I set up a full review of London's health needs. When the review reported, the Government accepted every recommendation. These included:

• Saving Barts hospital. So instead of being sold to property developers, Barts is today doing what it has done for hundreds of years - caring for sick Londoners.

• Building new hospitals at Greenwich, Bromley, Royal London, UCH and Oldchurch.

• Hundreds more improvements to NHS services across London.

That's the kind of result I enjoy delivering for London. It's the kind of thing that changes the future. And it is one that was achieved with the support of some important partners - the Cabinet, the Prime Minister and the Chancellor.

I know and you know that I can continue to deliver results like that for the people of London. But not all the candidates in this election have the same track record.

London would fail to get the investment and jobs it needs. Unemployment would rise. The poor and socially excluded - those Labour has spent so long defending - would be hit hard.

London's traffic would get more frustrating. The crowding on our tubes, trains and buses would get worse. Crime would rise, and so would the fear of crime.

London cannot afford to get the wrong Mayor. We have reason to be confident that Labour's candidate will be successful in the election in May next year. This places on us the duty to choose the candidate who we believe will best deliver results that improve the lives of Londoners. Shirk that duty and we turn our backs on the people of London.

A Labour Mayor who failed would also be deeply damaging to the Party - in London and elsewhere - no doubt costing us the seats of MPs and councillors. We cannot risk turning the clock back to the dark days of the early 1980s.

Instead, let us look to the future. This is a moment of opportunity for London. London already is a great city. But it can be so much more.

Your vote can help make it happen. Don't waste it. "

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