Lynne's Parliament and Haringey diary

Peoples' Question Time with the Mayor and Assembly. This is the twice-yearly statutory duty to appear before the public so we can be asked questions in public. It's really the Ken show - as people want to question him as Mayor rather than us as Assembly Members. We ordinary members are sat in a row behind the Mayor - like some chorus line. Feel like the backing group.

Still - at last my long ambition to be on the stage is fulfilled by appearing at the Mermaid Theatre.

I am not sure that these occasions deliver anything new - but they do have an importance in that we are there in public to be grilled. Inevitably the audience want to question the Mayor on congestion charging, the tube, housing and so on. I gather from the later TV coverage that the highlight of the evening for the media was the ejection of a member of the audience who was shouting throughout the proceedings until he was escorted out. Difficult situation really - clearly someone with learning difficulties and it's never nice to have to eject someone - but the audience was turning on him because they couldn't hear what was being said.

Of course, that was the only bit that was reported. Just love the media, dontcha?

Labels: ken livingstone