Politics
The capital has a new Pretender
Published 05 March 1999
Steve Richardsdetects a surprising candidate for mayor of London waiting in the wings
"I think it's highly likely that Labour's candidate for the mayor has not even emerged yet. There's still plenty of time. The detailed process for the mayoral candidates won't get under way until the summer. The candidate will not be selected until the autumn."
The minister for London, Nick Raynsford, reflects on the mayoral battle over coffee at Westminster. He has a spare hour during a break from the committee that is scrutinising the complex bill a few corridors away to introduce a mayor and a Greater London Authority. More than any other minister, Raynsford is the architect of the proposals and he speaks of them like a proud but protective father. Criticisms that the mayor will lack adequate powers annoy and bemuse him. But what really alarms this mild-mannered politician is the prospect of Ken Livingstone being the beneficiary of his hard labours. Not normally one to engage in political vitriol, he sips his coffee, smiles and then places a knife into the shoulder blades of the contest's early front runner.
"Ken Livingstone is paranoid. A procedure has been put in place for selection which is entirely proper. All candidates will be subject to an interview, which is absolutely right. A rigorous test of competence and ability is essential given the nature of the job. It's very odd that Ken Livingstone wants to be guaranteed a place without such an interview."
I suggest that Livingstone has every right to be paranoid. After all, the selection panel is out to get him.
"I don't know about that, but he's certainly paranoid." Would Livingstone make a good candidate? "He wouldn't be a good mayor. It would be a very big step backwards, rather than looking forward. In the course of time I have been working on these detailed proposals he has never come and spoken to me about them. His attendance at the London Labour MPs meetings, where I outline the progress of the project, has been patchy in the extreme. He just doesn't seem interested. He's much more interested in promoting his own ego and personality rather than in the mechanics of the job. London needs someone to do a job for Londoners, who understands the complex organisms of a capital city."
But Raynsford, for various reasons, does not believe the other names being bandied around, such as Frank Dobson or Glenda Jackson, are likely candidates either. And it is also "no" to a favoured business leader, an idea raised by leading Blairites earlier this year. "It would be very difficult for someone from the business world. They don't take easily to the disciplines of political life, to the constant scrutiny and accountability."
Who is left? As in an Agatha Christie whodunnit, I realise suddenly that the answer is sitting in front of me. Raynsford has reached the conclusion that the ideal person to beat Livingstone in an internal party contest and then go on and become mayor is . . . Nick Raynsford.
He is too astute to be quite so blunt at this stage, but he does not rule himself out, stating, "I want to get the legislation through before making a decision".
I ask him whether he could beat Livingstone. "If Ken Livingstone is allowed to stand I believe he could be beaten. There's no question that he won a level of support because of the way the GLC was abolished by Thatcher. But he could be beaten by someone who can speak up for London and who can show that building partnership is a stronger quality than seeking conflict."
Raynsford would have an ace card to play: his passionate commitment to the idea of a mayor is self-evident, since he has virtually written the white paper himself. And Labour Party members would view with suspicion any candidate, however charismatic, thrust upon them simply because they could "beat Livingstone". Could Dobson, who has shown no enthusiasm for the job whatsoever, really carry the day? Another suggestion has been that Saint Mo could be summoned from Belfast to take on Ken. She, too, has shown no interest and it would be poor reward for her service in Northern Ireland. ("Hello Mo, it's Tony. Thanks for your work on the peace process. I would now like you to risk your political career by fighting Ken in a contest to be Labour's candidate. Then I would like you to resign your seat in the Commons and stand for mayor, a contest you may or may not win, depending on the government's popularity at the time.") Raynsford, though, would really love the job.
"The mayor needs four characteristics," he enthuses. "An understanding of the complex way in which London now functions; a vision that focuses on the changes which are essential in terms of giving London greater competitive edge as well as tackling social exclusion; a communicating ability, not just in the media but in a way that enthuses other colleagues; and an ability to build partnerships . . . Mayors have to engage with business and community groups and with people in inner and outer London."
I ask him again whether he is throwing his hat in the ring. "No one who has had the satisfaction of putting this package together and who knows it would make a big difference to the largest city in Europe would say 'no' to such an opportunity."
Raynsford dismisses suggestions that the mayor will lack sufficient powers to meet the expectations of Londoners. "The mayor of London will have more power over transport than the mayor of New York. There will be a greater ability to control the destiny of London as a whole than is enjoyed by the mayor of Paris. There will be more scope for the regeneration of cultural activity than belongs to the mayor of Barcelona.There will be no problem for the mayor in terms of powers."
At which point Raynsford finishes his coffee and returns to his Commons committee. He clearly believes he could do Blair a favour by defeating Livingstone in a contest. Has he got the charisma? Will the Blairites take the risk of allowing Livingstone to stand? This is a soap opera with many more episodes to run.
But, so far, Raynsford is the most credible name that has come forward as a possible rival to Livingstone.
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