- guardian.co.uk,
- Wednesday April 26 2000 15.34 BST
Angela
No, I still have every intention of working hard to make the Conservative party as attractive to ethnic minorities as I believe it should be. I have a very good relationship with William Hague. He is a decent, fair minded man and I know he believes as I do that equality is indivisible. If I ever thought the Tories were either racist or homophobic I would leave the party. Sadly, every political party has its share of bigots but I don't believe the Conservatives are particularly over represented in that category!
If you couldn't control transport, still less control your trousers, how are you going to control one of the biggest cities in the world?
Paul King
Do you really expect a serious answer to such a pathetically sniggering 14-year-old question. My strong advice is to get outdoors more and find a girlfriend. Mind you, could take you some time.
How will Steven accommodate or facilitate for the growing business demands in the City? Particularly in terms of building heights and floorplate sizes. Can we expect Manhattan?
Ben Wrighton
I have no problem with tall buildings in appropriate locations and broadly, I do see the City accommodating increasing densities. It may not be Manhattan but over the next 10 years we have to keep pace with the demands of business and Docklands will not be able to absorb all the capacity we are likely to generate. On a related issue I do believe we have to look at residential densities if we are going to increase the amount of affordable housing in this city. It is an irony that Georgian terraces are far more dense than modern two storey semis. With good design we can raise heights, increase density and make the city more attractive at the same time.
1. You say you will increase the London weighting. Good. But by how much? Clearly if it's going to allow public sector workers to buy home sit will need to be a very substantial rise.
2. Brownfield development; high density housing; protection of green belt. Fine words indeed. Will you support the policy of the Empty homes agency to reduce VAT on refurbishment from 17.5% and equalise it vis a vis new homes? I'm not asking if you agree in principle with this but whether you will promise to do it?
3. You seem to be opposed to all social housing and your desire for an audit of council housing sounds suspiciously like a plan for a sell-off. This feeling is strengthened by your commitment to a right-to-buy drive. Can you explain in greater detail how your plan of PPP will provide the necessary affordable houses?
Michael O'Flynn
1.London weighting needs to be increased to a maximum of £6,000 as compared to the current ceiling of £3,000. To do this for police officers (post Sheehey) teachers and other public sector workers in London will cost around £820m. This represents a tiny proportion of the funds London is currently denied by the Barnett formula - around £3.5bn. There is no short cut here. The Home Office accepts the problem exists and that something urgent must be done. 2. Yes. 3. You are quite wrong. I perfectly accept the value of social housing. I have no plans to campaign to sell any of it off. I don't know where you get this idea of "my committment to a right to buy drive" but it is news to me. Working with the housing corporation and the existing housing associations in London and putting them together with public sector employers and private sector funders can fund tied accomodation for example for key workers.
Steve, do you support William Hague and the Conservative party's policy of immediate detention of all asylum seekers?
Cedric
I certainly think we have to have a serious look at how the current policy is working. Is it reasonable to suggest that in a number of cases, whilst the motives of those applying are perfectly understandable, their claim to asylum status does not stand examination? Are there any circumstances in which those who do not qualify should be returned to whence they came? And if the answer to the above questions is yes, then is it not reasonable to deal with all applicants quickly and then ensure that the decisions are implemented? I think the answer to all three questions is yes. Every applicant is entitled to their dignity and to a fair and prompt hearing. It may be that in order to process applications efficiently applicants need to be directed to reception centres. If that is logistically necessary I would not shrink from it. What is very worrying to me is that the current position does appear to be damaging good community relations in London. When many boroughs are spending more on the problem than they are on their own elderly population, and when housing waiting lists applicants see accomodation being allocated ahead of them they resent the burden. It is not the fault of the asylum seeker but it is most certainly an issue the government has to address urgently.
Do you not think that opposing the euro outright is unhelpful for the City's balancing act of maintaining importance while staying outside?
Brian Wolfe
No. You will be aware that the London Chamber of Commerce research has satisfied them, and many others, that there are no adverse consequences for the City deriving from our not joining the euro. My objections are economic and constitutional. They are most certainly not anti-european.
Can you let me know what your thoughts are on people who email questions to you when they should be working? Would you lock them all up in one of Mr Hagues camps?
Jonathan
Ha ha. Yeah. Actually I can't answer all the questions coming in but I am really impressed by the quality. There are some very bright Guardian readers out there.
What is the mayor actually going to be able to do? You all talk sensibly about crime, transport, jobs and free sweets for everyone. What makes you think you'll have any effect as mayor when your party so signally failed in government to implement any of these improvements for Londoners?
Simon Paley
There is a real difference between what a junior minister can do (very little in reality) and what a mayor can do with real executive authority. It is not about money alone. As a minister you advise organisations like LT, you answer for them when things go wrong and you try to take the credit when things go right, but ultimately it's their call. As mayor if you don't like what LT management is doing, you change them. Get it wrong and you alone are to blame. Get it right and you deserve to get the credit.
How is Mr Norris going to deal with spiralling house RENTAL prices in the capital?
Rory Cook
Not easy but I believe that you can make progress in at least two ways. First, we have to review London weighting to allow public servants to keep pace with the massive increase in freehold values and rents. Second, we have to make more affordable housing available, both tied to key public sector workers (teachers, nurses, police) and for more general consumption. There is one way this can be done without massive injections of cash (which is any event push prices up even further) and that is to insist on better design, greater density and a higher proportion from the developer made available to appropriate nominating housing associations, local authorities, etc.
How can he expect anyone to take him seriously when his own political party originally rejected him as a mayoral candidate only to backtrack because there were few other options open to them?
Pete Leary
I'll tell you why Pete. Whatever the farce over Archer, my party leader and members insisted on an open one member, one vote process even where this might embarrass a candidate. In the event I got more than a good majority - better than three to one - of Tory party members in London. That's good enough for me, but more importantly it was clearly good enough for the party too. I have had tremendous support from party rank and file who will be working for me in large numbers everyday between now and May 4 in parts of London Ken Livingstone would hardly recognise. By contrast the incompetent, corrupt, cynical brutality of the Labour process has resulted in no one out there working for Frank, while Ken, the ultimate Zone One candidate, simply has no organisation capable of turning the vote out. Perhaps that's why he was so obviously rattled last night on TV, warning his supporters of the danger of my nicking the prize after all. Believe me, he's right to be worried.
Will you keep Routemaster buses?
Paul Gailey
Yes, love them.
Thanks for the questions. Sorry I can't answer more, but I'm off to the southern states (Wimbledon to you) to meet some more very happy supporters.
Steve.
