London: The best is yet to come!

No, I do not intend to spam blog. However, receiving the London mayor’s letter, asking for my vote in the upcoming mayoral elections meant that I had to speak out. Mr. Ken Livingston, with due respect, your time is over!

Alright, let me not be hasty and harsh. Let me at least read your propaganda. You open your letter with “The job of Mayor of London is not a joke. The Mayor manages a budget of nearly GBP 11m and takes decisions that affect every resident.” I am glad Sir that you finally realize this very important truth! Your decisions have affected us! We Londoners have paid increasing taxes (do you recollect the council tax and the congestion charge at all!) and are still worse off than before. All our roads are dug up, water supplies are unreliable and the city is increasingly becoming dirty! I am wondering what decisions were taken in our interests here?

Oh alright, let me read further. I need to give you a fair chance. So what is next? “The Mayor’s biggest expenditure is on transport, including controlling bus services, the Tube and major roads. Over last eight years London’s bus services have completely transformed, with new buses on more routes and far greater reliability. Now we are starting to renew the Tube.....It requires a Mayor with proven record of delivery.”

I am rolling with laughter here. Thank you Sir for bringing laughter into this house after a long and hard day! You said proven record of delivery did you not! Proven record of delivering bendi-buses which could not be navigated through the narrow London streets, due to which the traffic directions had to be modified, inconveniencing everyone including the bus drivers? Or delivery of the spectacular Tube service which ensures that no one is ever on time? Or delivering assured Tube “upgradation work” on multiple Tube lines over the weekends for the last many years? Did the letter not say that the Tube is only starting to be renewed? So why exactly have we been paying increasing fares every year for the last four years?!

Mr. Livingston, dear readers, believes that London is the most beautiful city in the world! Sir, I second that whole heartedly (please read my first post if you have not). He agrees that there is a lot to do to improve the city and the best is yet to come. And to that I say yes the best is yet to come! A new mayor of London! Someone who has a vision beyond the vision for 2012. Someone who can really tackle our issues, with us Londoners in mind. Someone who can be a role model for the youngsters, sort his own life and not preach at large. Someone who will improve the infrastructure of the city before making tall promises to foreigners, inviting them to set up businesses in the city. Someone who at the end of his term can stand for re-election with the support of positive statistics and not a leaflet that points fingers at his competitors.

Grow up Sir and move on! The best is indeed yet to come!