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116-761: The West London Tram (also known as West London Transit ) was a proposed on-street light rail line that was to run along the Uxbridge Road ( A4020 ) corridor in West London , England. The scheme was promoted by Transport for London (TfL). It was postponed indefinitely on 2 August 2007, as it was opposed by the councils of all three bisected London Boroughs. The tram route was planned to run between Uxbridge and Shepherd's Bush , serving Hayes (north) , Hillingdon , Southall , Hanwell , West Ealing , Ealing and Acton en route, and would have replaced three equivalent London Buses routes. The proposed route

232-550: A " nuclear-free zone ". On 20 May 1981, the GLC halted its annual spending of £1 million on nuclear war defence plans, with Livingstone's deputy, Illtyd Harrington, proclaiming that "we are challenging... the absurd cosmetic approach to Armageddon." They published the names of the 3000 politicians and administrators who had been earmarked for survival in underground bunkers in the event of a nuclear strike on London. Thatcher's government remained highly critical of these moves, putting out

348-485: A "left wing extremist", and The Sun nicknamed him "Red Ken", stating his victory meant "full-steam-ahead red-blooded Socialism for London." The Financial Times issued a "warning" that leftists could use such tactics to take control of the government, when "the erosion of our democracy will surely begin." Thatcher joined the rallying call, proclaiming that leftists like Livingstone had "no time for parliamentary democracy ", but were plotting "To impose upon this nation

464-434: A 35-hour limit to their working week and a weekly wage increase to £60. Livingstone backed the strikers, urging Camden Council to grant their demands, eventually getting his way. District auditor Ian Pickwell, a government-appointed accountant who monitored council finances, claimed that this move was reckless and illegal, taking Camden Council to court. If found guilty, Livingstone would have been held personally responsible for

580-564: A Marxist takeover of London and then Britain; the Conservative press picked up the story, with the Daily Express using the headline of "Why We Must Stop These Red Wreckers". The media coverage was ineffective, and the GLC election of May 1981 led to Labour gaining power, with McIntosh installed as Head of the GLC; within 24 hours he was deposed by members of his own party, and replaced by Livingstone. On 7 May, Livingstone called

696-817: A barrage of press criticism for awarding a loan to the Sheba Feminist Publishers, whose works were widely labelled pornographic. In July 1981, Livingstone founded the Ethnic Minorities Committee, the Police Committee, and the Gay and Lesbian Working Party, and in June 1982, a Women's Committee was also established. Believing the Metropolitan Police to be a racist organisation, he appointed Paul Boateng to head

812-402: A caucus of his supporters; announcing his intent to challenge McIntosh's leadership, he invited those assembled to stand for other GLC posts. The meeting ended at 4:45pm having agreed on a full slate of candidates. At 5 o'clock, McIntosh held a GLC Labour meeting; the attendees called an immediate leadership election, in which Livingstone defeated him by 30 votes to 20. The entire left caucus slate

928-727: A combination of Vladimir Lenin and the German left-wing group, the Spartacus League , proceeding to erroneously claim that Livingstone received funding from the Libyan Jamahiriya . After Livingstone sued them for libel , in November 1983 the journal apologised, paying him £15,000 in damages in an out-of-court settlement. During 1982, Livingstone made new appointments to the GLC governance, with John McDonnell appointed key chair of finance and Valerie Wise chair of

1044-486: A few months since he appeared on the national scene, he has quickly become a joke. But no one can laugh at him any more. The joke has turned sour, sick and obscene. For Mr Livingstone steps forward as the defender and the apologist of the criminal, murderous activities of the IRA." The Sun lambasts Livingstone after his support for Irish republicanism. A supporter of Irish reunification , Livingstone had connections with

1160-573: A late night television chat show with Janet Street-Porter for London Weekend Television . The Greater London Labour Manifesto for the 1981 elections, although written under McIntosh's leadership, had been determined by a special conference of the London Labour Party in October 1980 in which Livingstone's speech had been decisive on transport policy. The manifesto focused on job creation schemes and cutting London Transport fares, and it

1276-566: A mainstream British audience through televised interviews. In August, Livingstone was interviewed on Irish state radio, proclaiming that Britain's 800-year occupation of Ireland was more destructive than the Holocaust ; he was publicly criticised by Labour members and the press. He also controversially expressed solidarity with the Marxist–Leninist government of Fidel Castro in Cuba against

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1392-575: A man who had "a strong impact" on Livingstone – and the 1960 United States presidential election . At Tulse Hill Comprehensive he gained an interest in amphibians and reptiles, keeping several as pets; his mother worried that rather than focusing on school work all he cared about was "his pet lizard and friends". At school he attained four O-levels in English Literature, English Language, Geography and Art, subjects he later described as "the easy ones". He started work rather than stay on for

1508-409: A meeting or a split that never actually happened." Ken Livingstone, 1987. There was a widespread public perception that Livingstone's GLC leadership was illegitimate, while the mainstream British media remained resolutely hostile. Livingstone received the levels of national press attention normally reserved for senior Members of Parliament. A press interview was arranged with Max Hastings for

1624-494: A new bypass; the West London Tram, by contrast, would run entirely along a highway which is hemmed in by narrow residential streets, with no scope for additional road construction. The Mayor of London commissioned a public consultation in 2004 to gauge public opinion about the project and make revisions to the plans. 440,000 consultation brochures were circulated and nearly 17,000 questionnaires completed. The results of

1740-481: A new strategy for obtaining political power in Lambeth borough. Focusing on campaigning for the marginal seats in the south of the borough, the safe Labour seats in the north were left to established party members. Public dissatisfaction with the Conservative government of Prime Minister Edward Heath led to Labour's best local government results since the 1940s; Labour leftists gained every marginal seat in Lambeth, and

1856-465: A propaganda campaign explaining their argument for the necessity of Britain's nuclear deterrent to counter the Soviet Union . "Arguing that politics had long been the near-exclusive preserve of white middle-aged men, the GLC began an attempt to open itself to representations from other groups, principally from women, the working-class, ethnic minorities and homosexuals but also from children and

1972-574: A relationship with Kate Allen , chair of Camden Council Women's Committee. Livingstone turned his attention to achieving a GLC Labour victory, exchanging his safe seat in Hackney North for the marginal Inner London seat of Paddington ; in May 1981 he won the seat by 2,397 votes. Cutler and the Conservatives learned of Livingstone's plans, proclaiming that a GLC Labour victory would lead to

2088-416: A significant amount of traffic through residential areas. They also took the view that the reduction in traffic resulting from the tram would not be as high as that claimed by TfL, citing TfL's own impact studies of Croydon Tramlink. The Croydon system, the group noted, runs mostly on converted railway lines with only a short section of on-street track, and traffic displacement was managed by the construction of

2204-527: A small percentage of its expenditure on funding minority community groups, including the London Gay Teenage Group, English Collective of Prostitutes , Women Against Rape, Lesbian Line, A Woman's Place, and Rights of Women. Believing these groups could initiate social change, the GLC increased its annual funding of voluntary organisations from £6 million in 1980 to £50 million in 1984. They provided loans to such groups, coming under

2320-498: A sporadically published paper, Socialist Organiser , as a mouthpiece for Livingstone's views, it criticised Labour Prime Minister James Callaghan as "anti-working class". In January 1979, Britain was hit by a series of public sector worker strikes that came to be known as the " Winter of Discontent ". In Camden Borough, council employees unionised under the National Union of Public Employees (NUPE) went on strike, demanding

2436-560: A spur line to Whampoa Dockyard through Baker Street  [ yue ] , another across Salisbury Road  [ yue ] and Canton Road to the Kowloon Godowns . Swiss law does not distinguish between trams and railways, making the distinction between street running by trams and that by railways legally indistinct. Street running railways have been much rarer in the United Kingdom than elsewhere. This

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2552-508: A turn towards a socialist platform. This was a popular message among many Labour activists amassed under the SCLV. The primary figurehead for this leftist trend was Tony Benn , who narrowly missed being elected deputy leader of Labour in September 1981, under new party leader Michael Foot . The head of the "Bennite left", Benn became "an inspiration and a prophet" to Livingstone; the two became

2668-433: A tyranny which the peoples of Eastern Europe yearn to cast aside." Entering County Hall as GLC leader on 8 May 1981, Livingstone initiated changes, converting the building's Freemasonic temple into a meeting room and removing many of the privileges enjoyed by GLC members and senior officers. He initiated an open-door policy allowing citizens to hold meetings in the committee rooms free of charge, with County Hall gaining

2784-409: Is due to 19th-century laws requiring railways to be enclosed by fences, which had the consequence that railways could not be built along existing roads and had to use their own rights of way . In cases where street running was unavoidable, the roads were often legally treated as level crossings with trains and road vehicles not permitted to use them at the same time. Some examples are: A selection of

2900-560: Is needed after Crossrail is up and running. Although there was strong opposition to the West London Tram scheme, most subjects expressed the view that congestion on the Uxbridge Road corridor was a major problem and thought that improvements to the existing bus services would be desirable. Various transport systems have been proposed as an alternative. Street running For safety, street running trains travel more slowly than trains on dedicated rights-of-way. Needing to share

3016-619: The Evening Standard , in which Livingstone was portrayed as affable but ruthless. The Sun' s editor Kelvin MacKenzie took a particular interest in Livingstone, establishing a reporting team to 'dig up the dirt' on him; they were unable to uncover any scandalous information, focusing on his interest in amphibians, a hobby mocked by other media sources. The satirical journal Private Eye referred to him as "Ken Leninspart",

3132-434: The 2012 Summer Olympics and ushering in a major redevelopment of the city's East End , his leadership after the 7 July 2005 London bombings was widely praised. After losing both the 2008 and 2012 London mayoral elections to the Conservative candidate Boris Johnson , Livingstone became a key ally of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in 2015. A longstanding critic of Israeli policy regarding Palestinians , his comments about

3248-571: The Cross River Tram and the Thames Gateway Transit bus rapid transit scheme. Livingstone promoted the project as a solution to traffic congestion problems in the west of London. It was forecast that the tramway would carry 50 million passengers a year and, based on research of Croydon Tramlink, promoters anticipated around 19% of those passengers would switch from using a car to the tram for their journey. The scheme

3364-628: The Houses of Parliament , Livingstone and Christine moved to West Hampstead , north London ; in June 1977 he was selected by local party members as the Labour parliamentary candidate for the Hampstead constituency , beating Vince Cable . He gained notoriety in the Hampstead and Highgate Express for publicly reaffirming his support for the controversial issue of LGBT rights , declaring he supported

3480-770: The Labour Party , he was on the party's hard left , ideologically identifying as a socialist . Born in Lambeth , South London , to a working-class family, Livingstone joined Labour in 1968 and was elected to represent Norwood at the GLC in 1973 , Hackney North and Stoke Newington in 1977 , and Paddington in 1981 . That year, Labour representatives on the GLC elected him as the council's leader. Attempting to reduce London Underground fares , his plans were challenged in court and declared unlawful; more successful were his schemes to benefit women and several minority groups, despite stiff opposition. The mainstream press gave him

3596-576: The Merchant Navy in 1932 and becoming a ship's master . Having first met in April 1940 at a music hall in Workington , they married within three months. After the war the couple moved in with Ethel's aggressive mother, Zona Ann (Williams), whom Livingstone considered "tyrannical". Livingstone's sister Lin was born 2 1 ⁄ 2 years later. Robert and Ethel went through various jobs in

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3712-603: The Revolutionary Communist League that had infiltrated the Labour party . In his struggle against Labour centrists, Livingstone was influenced by Trotskyist Ted Knight , who convinced him to oppose the use of British troops in Northern Ireland , believing they would simply be used to quash nationalist protests against British rule. Livingstone stood as the leftist candidate for the Chair of

3828-612: The Territorial Army from marching past County Hall that year. The GLC then proclaimed 1984 to be "Anti-Racism Year". In July 1985, the GLC twinned London with the Nicaraguan city of Managua , then under the control of the socialist Sandinista National Liberation Front . The press continued to criticise the Livingstone administration's funding of volunteer groups that they perceived represented only "fringe interests". As Livingstone biographer Andrew Hosken remarked, "by far

3944-743: The U.S. economic embargo , in return receiving an annual Christmas gift of Cuban rum from the Cuban embassy. Courting further controversy, in the Falklands War of 1982, during which the United Kingdom battled Argentina for control of the Falkland Islands , Livingstone stated his belief that the islands rightfully belonged to the Argentinian people, but not the military junta then ruling the country. Upon British victory, he sarcastically remarked that "Britain had finally been able to beat

4060-524: The Wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Lady Diana Spencer at St Paul's Cathedral in July 1981, Livingstone – a republican critical of the monarchy – wished the couple well but turned down the offer. He also permitted Irish republican protesters to hold a vigil on the steps of County Hall throughout the wedding celebrations, both actions that brought strong press criticism. His administration supported

4176-452: The anti-Vietnam War movement , becoming increasingly interested in politics and briefly subscribing to the publication of a libertarian socialist group, Solidarity . Livingstone joined the Labour Party in March 1968, when he was 23 years old, later describing it as "one of the few recorded instances of a rat climbing aboard a sinking ship". At the time, many leftists were leaving due to

4292-450: The " loony left ". Claiming that these only served "fringe" interests, their criticisms often exhibited racist , homophobic and sexist sentiment. A number of journalists fabricated stories designed to discredit Livingstone and the "loony left", for instance claiming that the GLC made its workers drink only Nicaraguan coffee in solidarity with the country's socialist government , and that Haringey Council leader Bernie Grant had banned

4408-470: The British Press in full hue and cry. As a socialist I started out with the lowest possible opinion of Fleet Street and was amazed to discover that they managed to sink even lower than I expected... I would spend hours carefully explaining our policies only to open the paper the next morning and see instead a smear about my sex-life, alleged personality defects or some completely fabricated account of

4524-536: The Conservatives, whose leader, Margaret Thatcher , became prime minister. A staunch right-winger and free market advocate, she became a bitter opponent of the labour movement and Livingstone. Following the electoral defeat, Livingstone told Socialist Organiser that the blame lay solely with the "Labour government's policies" and the anti-democratic attitude of Callaghan and the Parliamentary Labour Party, calling for greater party democracy and

4640-619: The GLC was dominated by Labour, who had 57 seats, compared to 33 held by the Conservatives and 2 by the Liberal Party . Of the Labour GLC members, around 16, including Livingstone, were staunch leftists. Representing Norwood in the GLC, Livingstone continued as a Lambeth councillor and Vice Chairman of the Lambeth Housing Committee, criticising Lambeth council's dealings with the borough's homeless. Learning that

4756-468: The GLC's housebuilding budget. With the 1977 GLC elections approaching, Livingstone recognised the difficulty of retaining his Norwood seat, instead being selected for Hackney North and Stoke Newington , a Labour safe seat , following the retirement of David Pitt . Accused of being a " carpetbagger ", it ensured he was one of the few leftist Labour councillors to remain on the GLC, which fell into Conservative hands under Horace Cutler . Turning towards

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4872-602: The Greater London Enterprise Board (GLEB) to create employment by investing in the industrial regeneration of London, with the funds provided by the council, its workers' pension fund and the financial markets. Livingstone later claimed that GLC bureaucrats obstructed much of what GLEB tried to achieve. Other policies implemented by the Labour Left also foundered. Attempts to prevent the sale-off of GLC council housing largely failed, in part due to

4988-478: The INLA, but Conservative Home Secretary Willie Whitelaw banned Adams' entry to Britain with the 1976 Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act . In February 1983, Livingstone visited Adams in his constituency of West Belfast , receiving a hero's welcome from local republicans. In July 1983, Adams finally came to London by invitation of Livingstone and MP Jeremy Corbyn , allowing him to present his views to

5104-546: The Labour Left. Instead, Livingstone got on board with a campaign known as "Keep Fares Fair" in order to bring about a change in the law that would make the Fares Fair policy legal; an alternate movement, "Can't Pay, Won't Pay", accused Livingstone of being a sell-out and insisted that the GLC proceed with its policies regardless of their legality. One aspect of the London Transport reforms was however maintained;

5220-477: The Labour candidate for the constituency of Brent East , a place which he felt an "affinity" for and where several of his friends lived. At the time, the Brent East Labour Party was characterised by competing factions, with Livingstone attempting to gain the support of both the hard and soft left. Securing a significant level of support from local party members, he nonetheless failed to apply for

5336-819: The Labour government's support for the U.S. in the Vietnam War , cuts to the National Health Service budget, and restrictions on trade unions; some joined far-left parties like the International Socialists or the Socialist Labour League , or single-issue groups like the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and the Child Poverty Action Group . The party was suffering mass electoral defeat at

5452-498: The Lambeth Housing Committee in April 1973, but was defeated by David Stimpson , who undid many of Livingstone and Carr's reforms. In June 1972, after a campaign orchestrated by Eddie Lopez, Livingstone was selected as the Labour candidate for Norwood in the Greater London Council (GLC). In the 1973 GLC elections, he won the seat with 11,622 votes, a clear lead over his Conservative rival. Led by Reg Goodwin ,

5568-760: The Local Government Committee who prepared Labour's manifesto for the next borough election. Hoping for better qualifications, he attended night school, gaining O-levels in Human Anatomy, Physiology and Hygiene, and an A-level in Zoology. Leaving his job at Chester Beatty, in September 1970 he began a 3-year course at the Philippa Fawcett Teacher Training College (PFTTC) in Streatham ; his attendance

5684-590: The London Underground when it did not operate in their borough. Although the Divisional Court initially found in favour of the GLC, Bromley Borough took the issue to the Court of Appeal , where three judges – Lord Denning , Lord Justice Oliver and Lord Justice Watkins – reversed the previous decision, finding in favour of Bromley Borough on 10 November. They proclaimed that the Fares Fair policy

5800-655: The Norwood Labour Party meetings] had been rather like taking a bottle of gin into a room full of alcoholics. I was immediately passed round and consumed." Ken Livingstone (1987) Joining his local Labour branch in Norwood , he involved himself in their operations, within a month becoming chair and secretary of the Norwood Young Socialists , gaining a place on the constituency's General Management and Executive Committees, and sitting on

5916-576: The People's March for Jobs, a demonstration of 500 anti-unemployment protesters who marched to London from Northern England, allowing them to sleep in County Hall and catering for them. Costing £19,000, critics argued that Livingstone was illegally using public money for his own political causes. The GLC orchestrated a propaganda campaign against Thatcher's government, in January 1982 erecting a sign on

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6032-436: The Police Committee and monitor the force's activities. Considering the police a highly political organisation, he publicly remarked that "When you canvas police flats at election time, you find that they are either Conservatives who think of Thatcher as a bit of a pinko or they are National Front ." The Conservatives and mainstream press were largely critical of these measures, considering them symptomatic of what they termed

6148-694: The Three Horseshoes Pub in Hampstead. Known as "Green Ken" among Ulster Unionists , Unionist paramilitary Michael Stone of the Ulster Defence Association plotted to kill Livingstone, only abandoning the plan when he became convinced that the security services were monitoring him. Livingstone agreed to meet Gerry Adams , Sinn Féin President and IRA-supporter, after Adams was invited to London by Labour members of

6264-723: The Troops Out campaign in December 1982. The same day as the invitation was made, the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) bombed The Droppin Well bar in Ballykelly, County Londonderry , killing 11 soldiers and 6 civilians; in the aftermath, Livingstone was pressured to cancel the meeting. Expressing his horror at the bombing, Livingstone insisted that the meeting proceed, for Adams had no connection with

6380-487: The Uxbridge Road. The tram was partly envisaged as a "feeder" service for other modes of transit, transporting passengers to interchange points with London Underground , London Overground and the future Crossrail service. The West London Tram scheme proved to be a contentious proposal, with public opinion along the route more or less divided on the issue. Several consultation exercises and opinion polls reported contradictory results of narrow majorities both for and against

6496-456: The announcement that central government was to go ahead with the Crossrail project. Opponents of the tramway were critical of the fact that £30 million had already been spent on the project before its cancellation. TfL have pledged to work with the local boroughs to increase bus provision instead, including interchanges with the future Crossrail stations. TfL have said the tram scheme may be revisited however if further public transport capacity

6612-431: The attack, Livingstone informed members of the Cambridge University Tory Reform Group that it was a misunderstanding to view the IRA as "criminals or lunatics" because of their political motives and that "violence will recur again and again as long as we are in Ireland." Mainstream press criticised him for these comments, with The Sun labeling him "the most odious man in Britain". In response, Livingstone proclaimed that

6728-411: The best known left-wingers in Labour. Inspired by the Bennites, Livingstone planned a GLC take-over; on 18 October 1979, he called a meeting of Labour leftists entitled "Taking over the GLC", beginning publication of monthly newsletter the London Labour Briefing . Focused on increasing leftist power in the London Labour Party, he urged socialists to stand as candidates in the upcoming GLC election. When

6844-454: The borough returned to Labour control. In October 1971, Livingstone's father died of a heart attack; his mother soon moved to Lincoln . That year, Labour members voted Livingstone vice-chairman of the Housing Committee on the Lambeth London Borough Council , his first job in local government. Reforming the housing system, Livingstone and Committee Chairman Ewan Carr cancelled the proposed rent increase for council housing , temporarily halting

6960-401: The borough's council housing to increase his local support base. In 1979, internal crisis rocked Labour as activist group, the Campaign for Labour Democracy, struggled with the Parliamentary Labour Party for a greater say in party management. Livingstone joined the activists, on 15 July 1978 helping unify small left wing groups as the Socialist Campaign for a Labour Victory (SCLV). Producing

7076-447: The candidacy in time, and so the incumbent centrist Reg Freeson was once more selected as Labour candidate for Brent East. A subsequent vote at the council meeting revealed that 52 local Labour members would have voted for Livingstone, with only 2 for Freeson and 3 abstentions. Nevertheless, in the 1983 United Kingdom general election , Freeson went on to win the Brent East constituency for Labour. In 1983, Livingstone began co-presenting

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7192-414: The construction of Europe's largest tower blocks, and founded a Family Squatting Group to ensure that homeless families would be immediately rehoused through squatting in empty houses. He increased the number of compulsory purchase orders for private-rented properties, converting them to council housing. They faced opposition to their reforms, which were cancelled by central government. Livingstone and

7308-461: The council had pursued a discriminatory policy of allocating the best housing to white working-class families, Livingstone went public with the evidence, which was published in the South London Press . In August 1973, he publicly threatened to resign from the Lambeth Housing Committee if the council failed "to honour longstanding promises" to rehouse 76 homeless families then staying in dilapidated and overcrowded halfway accommodation . Frustrated at

7424-487: The council's failure to achieve this, he resigned from the Housing Committee in December 1973. Considered a radical by the GLC's Labour leadership, Livingstone was allocated the unimportant position of Vice Chairman of the Film Viewing Board, monitoring the release of soft pornography . Like most board members, Livingstone opposed censorship, a view he changed with the increasing availability of extreme pornography . With growing support from Labour leftists, in March 1974 he

7540-426: The disruption caused by tramway construction. While a majority of residents thought that trams were environmentally friendly, a majority believed that trams take up too much space on the road. Most interviewees felt that reducing congestion on the Uxbridge Road was important, an improved bus service was favoured by many. The West London Tram project was postponed indefinitely by TfL in August 2007. The decision followed

7656-428: The elderly. This was a real break from traditional politics as practised centrally by both major parties... and it attracted hostility from all sides." Historian Alwyn W. Turner, 2010. Livingstone's administration advocated measures to improve the lives of minorities within London, who together made up a sizeable percentage of the city's population; what Reg Race called "the Rainbow Coalition". The GLC allocated

7772-552: The election as an independent candidate . In his first term as Mayor of London, he introduced the congestion charge , Oyster card , and articulated buses , and unsuccessfully opposed the privatisation of London Underground . Despite his opposition to Blair's government on issues like the Iraq War , Livingstone was invited to stand for re-election as Labour's candidate. Re-elected in 2004 , he expanded his transport policies, introduced new environmental regulations, and enacted civil rights reforms. Overseeing London's winning bid to host

7888-399: The election of Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson in 1964. With a friend from Chester Beatty, Livingstone toured West Africa in 1966, visiting Algeria, Niger, Nigeria, Lagos, Ghana and Togo. Interested in the region's wildlife, Livingstone rescued an infant ostrich from being eaten, donating it to the Lagos children's zoo. Returning home, he took part in several protest marches as a part of

8004-435: The exercise, published in March 2005, showed that, while 54% of respondents felt there was need to reduce congestion improve public transport and on the Uxbridge Road, 59 per cent were opposed to the tramway scheme. Opponents expressed concerns about the cost of the project and an anticipated increase in traffic congestion, particularly on residential side roads. The consultation - the largest ever held by Transport for London -

8120-404: The hell out of a country smaller, weaker and even worse governed than we were." Challenging the Conservative government's militarism, the GLC proclaimed 1983 to be "Peace Year", solidifying ties with the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) in order to advocate international nuclear disarmament , a measure opposed by the Thatcher government. In keeping with this pacifistic outlook, they banned

8236-399: The judges "Vandals in Ermine" while Livingstone maintained his belief that the judicial decision was politically motivated. Initially presenting a motion to the GLC Labour groups that they refuse to comply with the judicial decision and continue with the policy regardless, but was out-voted by 32–22; many commentators claimed that Livingstone had only been bluffing in order to save face among

8352-483: The left-wing Irish republican party Sinn Féin and in July, met with the mother of an imprisoned Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) militant Thomas McElwee , then taking part in the 1981 Irish hunger strike . That day, Livingstone publicly proclaimed his support for those prisoners on hunger strike, claiming that the British government's fight against the IRA was not "some sort of campaign against terrorism " but

8468-753: The leftist Schools' Action Union (SAU) founded in the wake of the 1968 student protests, he encouraged members of the Brixton branch of the Black Panthers to join Labour. His involvement in the SAU led to his dismissal from the PFTCC student's union, who disagreed with politicising secondary school pupils. "It was intoxicating to be at what seemed at the time the centre of events. We were pushing ahead with our schemes. We had honoured our pledge that pensioners should travel free on London Transport buses. We introduced

8584-482: The leftists became embroiled in factional in-fighting within Labour, vying with centrist members for powerful positions. Although never adopting Marxism , Livingstone became involved with a number of Trotskyist groups active within Labour; viewing them as potential allies, he became friends with Chris Knight , Graham Bash and Keith Veness, members of the Socialist Charter, a Trotskyist cell affiliated with

8700-451: The local elections. In London, Labour lost 15 boroughs, including Livingstone's London Borough of Lambeth , which came under Conservative control. Contrastingly, Livingstone believed that grassroots campaigning – such as the 1968 student protests – were ineffective, joining Labour because he considered it the best chance for implementing progressive political change in the UK. "My arrival [at

8816-542: The many examples: Ken Livingstone Kenneth Robert Livingstone (born 17 June 1945) is an English retired politician who served as the Leader of the Greater London Council (GLC) from 1981 until the council was abolished in 1986 , and as Mayor of London from the creation of the office in 2000 until 2008 . He also served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Brent East from 1987 to 2001 . A former member of

8932-460: The measure, forced to pay the massive surcharge , and been disqualified for public office for five years; ultimately the judge threw out the case. In May 1979, a general election was held in the United Kingdom . Standing as Labour candidate for Hampstead, Livingstone was defeated by the incumbent Conservative, Geoffrey Finsberg . Weakened by the Winter of Discontent, Callaghan's government lost to

9048-480: The middle east. Evidence is lacking to indicate Livingstone knew about the funding at the time. Livingstone's commercial relationship with WRP leader Gerry Healy was controversial among British socialists, many of whom disapproved of Healy's reputation for violence. In the newspaper in 1982, perceiving a neglect by Labour of the Israel-Palestine conflict, Livingstone wrote of "a distortion running right

9164-484: The moniker "Red Ken" in reference to his socialist beliefs and criticised him for supporting republicanism , LGBT rights , and a United Ireland . Livingstone was a vocal opponent of the Conservative Party government of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher , which in 1986 abolished the GLC. Elected as MP for Brent East in 1987, he became closely associated with anti-racist campaigns. He attempted to stand for

9280-626: The most contentious grant" was given in February 1983 to a group called Babies Against the Bomb, founded by a group of mothers who had united to campaign against nuclear weapons. Members of London Labour groups chastised Livingstone for his controversial statements, believing them detrimental to the party, leading Labour members and supporters to defect to the Social Democratic Party (SDP). Many highlighted Labour's failure to secure

9396-479: The new Women's Committee, while Sir Ashley Bramall became GLC chairman and Tony McBrearty was appointed chair of housing. Others stayed in their former positions, including Dave Wetzel as transport chair and Mike Ward as chair of industry; thus was created what biographer John Carvel described as "the second Livingstone administration", leading to a "more calm and supportive environment". Turning his attention once more to Parliament, Livingstone sought to be selected as

9512-466: The new system of flat fares within ticket zones , and the inter-modal Travelcard ticket continues as the basis of the ticketing system. The GLC then put together new measures in the hope of reducing London Transport fares by the more modest amount of 25%, taking them back to roughly the price that they were when Livingstone's administration took office; it was ruled legal in January 1983, and subsequently implemented. Livingstone's administration founded

9628-551: The nickname of "the People's Palace". Livingstone took great pleasure watching the disgust expressed by some Conservative GLC members when non-members began using the building's restaurant. In the London Labour Briefing , Livingstone announced "London's ours! After the most vicious GLC election of all time, the Labour Party has won a working majority on a radical socialist programme." He stated that their job

9744-640: The non-compulsory sixth form , which required six O-levels. From 1962 to 1970, he worked as a technician at the Chester Beatty cancer research laboratory in Fulham , looking after animals used in experimentation . Most of the technicians were socialists, and Livingstone helped found a branch of the Association of Scientific, Technical and Managerial Staffs to fight redundancies imposed by company bosses. Livingstone's leftist views solidified upon

9860-409: The position of Labour Party leader following Neil Kinnock 's resignation in 1992 , but failed to get enough nominations. Livingstone became a vocal critic of Tony Blair 's New Labour project that pushed the party closer to the political centre and won the 1997 general election . After failing to become Labour's candidate in the 2000 London mayoral election , Livingstone successfully contested

9976-406: The post-war years, with the former working on fishing trawlers and English Channel ferries, while the latter worked in a bakers, at Freemans catalogue dispatch and as a cinema usherette. Livingstone's parents were "working class Tories ", and unlike many Conservative voters at the time did not hold to socially conservative views on race and sexuality, opposing racism and homophobia. The family

10092-471: The press coverage had been "ill-founded, utterly out of context and distorted", reiterating his opposition both to IRA attacks and British rule in Northern Ireland. Anti-Livingstone pressure mounted and on 15 October he was attacked in the street by members of unionist militia, The Friends of Ulster. In a second incident, Livingstone was attacked by far right skinheads shouting "commie bastard" at

10208-536: The provision of free contraception for anyone who lived or worked in the borough. When Mrs Thatcher (then Education Secretary) made it illegal for Education Authorities to give children free school milk, Lambeth – which was not an education authority – stepped in to continue paying for the service." Ken Livingstone on the Labour-run Lambeth Borough Council in the early 1970s (1987). In 1971, Livingstone and his comrades developed

10324-725: The reduction of the age of consent for male same-sex activity from 21 to 16, in line with the different-sex age of consent. Becoming active in the politics of the London Borough of Camden , Livingstone was elected Chair of Camden's Housing Committee; putting forward radical reforms, he democratised council housing meetings by welcoming local people, froze rents for a year, reformed the rate collection system, changed rent arrears procedures and implemented further compulsory purchase orders to increase council housing. Criticised by some senior colleagues as incompetent and excessively ambitious, some accused him of encouraging leftists to move into

10440-630: The relationship between Adolf Hitler and Zionism resulted in his 2016 suspension from Labour. He resigned from the party in 2018. Characterised by Charles Moore as "the only truly successful left-wing British politician of modern times", Livingstone was a controversial and polarising figure. Supporters praised his efforts to improve rights for women, LGBT people, and ethnic minorities in London, but critics emphasised allegations of cronyism and antisemitism , and criticised his connections to Islamists and Irish republicans . Kenneth Robert Livingstone

10556-464: The right-of-way with motor vehicles can cause delays and pose a safety risk. Stations on such routes are rare and may appear similar in style to a tram stop , but often lack platforms, pedestrian islands, or other amenities. In some cases, passengers may be required to wait on a distant sidewalk, and then board or disembark by crossing the traffic. The last street-station in the United States

10672-437: The seat in the 1981 Croydon North West by-election as a sign of Labour's prospects under Livingstone. Some called for Livingstone's removal, but Michael Foot's assistant Una Cooze defended Livingstone's position. Television and radio outlets invited Livingstone for interviews; described by biographer John Carvel as having "one of the best television styles of any contemporary politician", Livingstone used this medium to speak to

10788-437: The strong opposition from the Conservative government. ILEA attempted to carry through with its promise to cut the price of school meals in the capital from 35p to 25p, but was forced to abandon its plans following legal advice that the councillors could be made to pay the surcharge and disqualified from public office. The Livingstone administration took a strong stance on the issue of nuclear disarmament , proclaiming London

10904-462: The time came to choose who would lead London Labour in that election, Livingstone put his name down, but was challenged by the moderate Andrew McIntosh ; in the April 1980 vote, McIntosh beat Livingstone by 14 votes to 13. In September 1980, Livingstone separated from his wife Christine, though they remained amicable. Moving into a small flat at 195 Randolph Avenue , Maida Vale with his pet reptiles and amphibians, he divorced in October 1982 and began

11020-578: The top of County Hall – clearly visible from the Houses of Parliament – stating the number of unemployed in London. In September 1981, a weekly newspaper, the Labour Herald , was announced with Livingstone, Ted Knight and Matthew Warburton as co-editors. It was published by a press owned by the Trotskyist Workers Revolutionary Party (WRP), who had financed it with funding from Libya and other countries in

11136-491: The tram, where opposition was strongest. A local pressure group , Save Ealing's Streets , launched a campaign in 2004 against the construction of the tramway through Ealing and along the A40 corridor. The group voiced concerns that there were a number of "pinch points" (sections of road not wide enough to accommodate two lanes of traffic and two tram lanes) along the Uxbridge Road which would create major congestion problems and divert

11252-407: The tram. The scheme was opposed by the local councils of the boroughs along the intended tramway route: Ealing , Hammersmith & Fulham and Hillingdon . Ealing council had initially supported the project, but following a change of council after the local elections , the new ruling Conservative Party council voted against the tramway. Ealing was also a focus of public campaigning against

11368-402: The use of the term "black bin liner" and the rhyme " Baa Baa Black Sheep ", because they were perceived as racially insensitive. Writing in 2008, BBC reporter Andrew Hosken noted that although most of Livingstone's GLC administration's policies were ultimately a failure, its role in helping change social attitudes towards women and minorities in London remained its "enduring legacy". Invited to

11484-647: The way through British politics" because "a majority of Jews in this country supported the Labour Party and elected a number of Jewish Labour MPs". The Labour Herald folded in 1985, after Healy was accused of being a sex offender and he was expelled from the WRP. "This morning the Sun presents the most odious man in Britain. Take a bow, Mr Livingstone, socialist leader of the Greater London Council. In just

11600-509: Was "the last colonial war". He was criticised for this meeting and his statements in the mainstream press, while Prime Minister Thatcher claimed that his comments constituted "the most disgraceful statement I have ever heard." Soon after, he also met with the children of Yvonne Dunlop, an Irish Protestant who had been killed in McElwee's bomb attack. On 10 October, the IRA bombed London's Chelsea Barracks , killing 2 and injuring 40. Denouncing

11716-609: Was born in his grandmother's house at 21 Shrubbery Road Streatham , South London , on 17 June 1945. His family was working class; his mother, Ethel Ada (née Kennard, 1915–1997), had been born in Southwark before training as an acrobatic dancer and working on the music hall circuit prior to the Second World War . Ken's Scottish father, Robert "Bob" Moffat Livingstone (1915–1971), had been born in Dunoon before joining

11832-410: Was budgeted at a cost of approximately £200 million, and the line would come into service by 2009. The tram was designed to run along the congested Uxbridge Road from Uxbridge to Shepherd's Bush and replace the heavily used 207 , 427 and 607 bus routes. Had the route been constructed it would have revived a tram route established in 1904 and which was replaced by a trolleybus route 607 which

11948-414: Was bullied, and got into trouble for truancy. One year, his form master was Philip Hobsbaum , who encouraged his pupils to debate current events, first interesting Livingstone in politics. He related that he became "an argumentative cocky little brat" at home, bringing up topics at the dinner table to enrage his father. His interest in politics was furthered by the 1958 Papal election of Pope John XXIII –

12064-515: Was divided, with 40% supporting the tram scheme while 44% were opposed. A further 14% were impartial. Supporters of the scheme saw the trams as an environmentally friendly and more rapid transport solution than buses, and thought that it would reduce traffic congestion. Opponents mostly expressed the view that the tram line would increase traffic congestion as the roads were not wide enough to accommodate existing traffic and trams, and that traffic would be displaced into side roads, as well as concerns over

12180-627: Was elected to the executive of the Greater London Labour Party (GLLP), responsible for drawing up the manifesto for the GLC Labour group and the lists of candidates for council and parliamentary seats. Turning his attention once more to housing, he became Vice Chairman of the GLC's Housing Management Committee, but was sacked in April 1975 for his opposition to the Goodwin administration's decision to cut £50 million from

12296-459: Was hoped would get more Londoners using public transport, thereby reducing congestion. In October 1981, the GLC implemented their policy, cutting London Transport fares by 32%; to fund the move, the GLC planned to increase the London rates . The legality of the Fares Fair policy was challenged by Dennis Barkway, Conservative leader of the London Borough of Bromley council, who complained that his constituents were having to pay for cheaper fares on

12412-468: Was illegal because the GLC was expressly forbidden from choosing to run London Transport at a deficit, even if this was in the perceived interest of Londoners. The GLC appealed this decision, taking the case to the House of Lords ; on 17 December five Law Lords unanimously ruled in favour of Bromley Borough Council, putting a permanent end to the Fares Fair policy. GLC transport chairman Dave Wetzel labelled

12528-561: Was in Michigan City, closing in 2022. The following list is non-inclusive of tram and light rail systems and is otherwise non-exhaustive. Notable examples in Canada include: For tramways the legal separation of a street running trackbed and an exclusive trackbed in urban traffic is given in § 16 BOStrab tramway regulations . Germany has some street-running railways: The KCR British Section had two street running stretches:

12644-403: Was itself superseded by the present bus routes. The trams were to run on a completely on-street route, with a mixture of stretches shared with road traffic, "accessible" routes (controlled lanes which road traffic would be permitted to enter temporarily, for example to avoid an obstruction), and segregated stretches of track which would be for tram use only, mostly along the central reservation of

12760-438: Was nominally Anglican , although Livingstone abandoned Christianity when he was 11, becoming an atheist . Moving to a Tulse Hill council housing estate, Livingstone attended St. Leonard's Primary School, and after failing his 11-plus exam, in 1956 began secondary education at Tulse Hill Comprehensive School . In 1957, his family purchased their own property at 66 Wolfington Road, West Norwood . Rather shy at school, he

12876-476: Was poor, and he considered it "a complete waste" of time. Beginning a romantic relationship with Christine Chapman, president of the PFTTC student's union, the couple married in 1973. Realising the Conservative governance of Lambeth Borough council was hard to unseat, Livingstone aided Eddie Lopez in reaching out to members of the local populace disenfranchised from the traditional Labour leadership. Associating with

12992-560: Was reportedly dismissed by Mayor Ken Livingstone as "unscientific", who instead cited a separate poll of 1,100 west Londoners which claimed a 54% backing for the tram. Another 2004 poll of 1,800 people, commissioned from ORC by the Greater London Authority , claimed 56% support for the tram. TfL commissioned market a research programme from Ipsos MORI , who conducted 1,860 telephone interviews with residents of west London during June 2006. The results found that opinion

13108-457: Was the same route as London's tram route 7 from about 1905 until 1951. The revival of interest in tramways and light rail transit systems around the start of the 21st century led to the re-introduction of electric trams to a number of British cities and towns such as Manchester , Sheffield , and Croydon . The West London Tram scheme was first announced in 2002 by the then Mayor of London , Ken Livingstone , along with other projects such as

13224-605: Was then elected. The next day, a leftist coup deposed Sir Ashley Bramall on the Inner London Education Authority (ILEA), replacing him with Bryn Davies ; the left group now controlled both the GLC and the ILEA. McIntosh proclaimed the GLC coup illegitimate, asserting that Labour was in danger from a leftist take-over. The mainstream press criticised the coup; the Daily Mail called Livingstone

13340-518: Was to "sustain a holding operation until such time as the Tory [Conservative] government can be brought down and replaced by a left-wing Labour government." There was a perception among Livingstone's allies that they constituted the genuine opposition to Thatcher's government, with Foot's Labour leadership dismissed as ineffectual; they hoped Benn would soon replace him. "There is nothing that happens to you at any stage in your life that can prepare you for

13456-505: Was to these issues that Livingstone's administration turned. One primary manifesto focus had been a pledge known as Fares Fair , which focused on reducing London Underground fares and freezing them at that lower rate. Based on a fare freeze implemented by the South Yorkshire Metropolitan County Council in 1975, it was widely considered to be a moderate and mainstream policy by Labour, which it

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