Fortunately for Londoners "Boris's large fiscal hole" isn't going to be nearly as big as Ken's missing millions. After 8 years of waste it's a relief to finally see the gravy train grind to a halt.

How green is the 50 million cycling budget anyway, where do you think the money comes from? Not the little green faries, it's industry that pays for these whims after all...by doing all the things you protest about.

"Boris's large fiscal hole"

I just got the joke, its almost like Cockney Rhyming Slang. Maybe Julian Clary could blog on it too.

Sian Berry hasn't asked me to delete any comments - it's all my own work and it's because I'm increasingly fed up with people who can't distinguish between disagreeing and making personal attacks and smears.
Ben Davies.

Sian Berry likes to make personal attacks and smears herself, what is the difference? On this very page she has made personal attacks against many of the other London Election candidates including Boris and Brian Paddick. She has even called Richard Barnbrook a Nazi.

Furthermore Sian would like us all to treat anybody that drives a 4x4 with the same contempt reserved for drink drivers. Which is a personal attack and smear and incitement to hate, just because of the car they drive.

Sian has been to the polls and lost, she didn't even achieve a seat on the London Assembly. Boris was Elected by a majority and is fullfilling the promises made during his election campaign, if Sian Berry wishes to criticise this no problem, although she must accept the criticism of herself in return without it being edited out by a wellwisher.

Sian Berry is currently unemployed and doesn't and pay tax on a regular basis (Fact), therefore it is wrong for her to campaign for Londoners to pay higher taxes on projects she supports. She would have had the chance if she had won the Election or a seat on the Assembly which as we all know she didn't.

N.B. The above is not a personal attack or a smear, just fact.

Jane Greene,

The venom is all from Sian, no I don't support the BNP, let me make that quite clear. What I do support is free speech. If Sian wants to call a political opponent a Nazi then she really can't complain about personal criticism. If Ben Davies along with Gary Dunion from the Green Party want to go around stamping anyone that speaks up against Sian on the basis that it is a "personal attack and smear" then it's only right that I point out when Sian has done the same thing herself.

Richard Barnbrook is a Nazi!
Anyone who studies the history of the BNP, should realise this.

Definition of Nazi used in the context of 21 Century Britain and not the German Political party:- "an offensive term for a person who is fanatically dedicated to, or seeks to control, some activity, practice, etc."

Hmm, if the cap fits...

Daniel,

a) Nobody called Sian a Nazi, just a Socialist, read the posts. It was Sian who labeled her political opponent a Nazi, the man who incidently beat her to the London Assembly, whether we like him or not the electorate picked him over Sian, that is democracy.
b) Not complacent either, just don't agree or like the tactics used by Ms. Berry, neither does the electorate otherwise she would be Londons Mayor or sitting on the London Assembly by now.
c) Sian is currently unemployed, she resigned from her IT job at Imperial College assuming she would go straight to the London Assembly. Despite all the hot air of big party squeezes and successful campaigns she failed to get a seat.
d) Currently Sian remains unelected yet she feels qualified to dictate to our Elected Mayor, remember Boris is the choice of the majority. Sian is currently a non taxpayer yet she wishes to dictate how Londons Budgets are spent.
e) When Sian tried to dictate policy, people said no problem run for office and get yourself elected and put you ploicies into action, that didn't happen.
f) Also what right has an out of work IT girl got to dictate how our taxes are spent when she currently isn't contributing any of her own.
g) Yes we are facing global natural resource problems, they are not going to be solved by bullying a small minority who need, choose or can afford a larger car. Most modern 4x4's are no bigger than a London Taxi, a car specifically designed for London streets as it has maximum space and visability with the footprint of a normal saloon car, like a taxi most seat seven. To declare these cars too big is ludicrous, when they are more efficient than most normal cars and contrary to Sians velief they are designed for ALL roads that includes cities. To encourage vandalism and vigilante attacks on drivers is scandalous. These vehicles are usually cleaner than most older cars and vans as they have catalytic converters, yet Sian doesn't target these vehicles, why only target the vehicles driven by the rich if it is not socialism? Also to try to create a stigma that is akin to being a drink driver is plain nasty politics and smacks of socialist class warfare. This has nothing to do with saving the planet, if it did the time money and resourses could be spent much more effictivly. If every 4x4 was taken off the London streets tomorrow it wouldn't make a jot of difference to the Londons Air quality. Again if every 4x4 driver changed into a Toyota Prius the planet wouldn't be any Greener anyway, do you realise the Battery waste from these cars is destroying whole landscapes where they are manufactured.

I support the green party and the real issues, unfortunately hypocritical gesture politics doesn't win elections and doesn't solve anything. Sian has proved that.

Jo.

@Jo

"a) Nobody called Sian a Nazi, just a Socialist, read the posts."

Quite right, mea culpa, probably a late night post.

Since when was being a socialist a bad thing? It is not the same as a communist, and is part and parcel of "social democracy' which functions pretty well in some countries.

"f) Also what right has an out of work IT girl got to dictate how our taxes are spent when she currently isn't contributing any of her own."

Citizenship is not something bought and sold, it is a basic right. Political engagement does not make you a dictator, that is something you achieve by controlling the military.

"g) Yes we are facing global natural resource problems, they are not going to be solved by bullying a small minority who need, choose or can afford a larger car. Most modern 4x4's are no bigger than a London Taxi, a car specifically designed for London streets as it has maximum space and visability with the footprint of a normal saloon car, like a taxi most seat seven. To declare these cars too big is ludicrous, when they are more efficient than most normal cars and contrary to Sians velief they are designed for ALL roads that includes cities. To encourage vandalism and vigilante attacks on drivers is scandalous. These vehicles are usually cleaner than most older cars and vans as they have catalytic converters, yet Sian doesn't target these vehicles, why only target the vehicles driven by the rich if it is not socialism?"

4x4's may well be the victim of gesture politics, though they do have a rather nasty habit of causing horrific injuries to children, due to their very high front profile.

Socialism is not about attacking the rich, it is about ensuring the provision of public goods. If Sian really is attacking the rich, then that is class warfare, something you tend not to see in so much in Social Democratic polities, because they tend to be less unequal.

As far as I know it, the increased congestion charge that was proposed was based on the level of emissions the vehicle gave out.

I do not know the internal politics of the Green party, but if Sian is so unpopular, then perhaps someone should stand against her as leader?

From outside the party, she seems to be doing a fairly good job of raising the profile of the Greens.