‘Conflict of interests’ for mayoral candidates

The article confirms that if the Labour party wants a mayor who will truly stand up to the property developers and speculators, who have been given near-free rein to carve up our city for the past seven years, then I represent the best choice.

How can these Labour party candidates for London mayor say they will drive hard bargains with developers on the other side of the negotiating table who have bankrolled them? Labour party members in London, affiliates and the new supporters who have signed up in recent weeks should demand that they have a candidate who properly represents the interests of ordinary Londoners and is answerable to them. Many have already written to me shocked at hearing about these donations and say they will now support me.

I am proud to say that I have run a campaign unsullied by donations from big business and vested interests, and if selected, I will continue to campaign in that manner. I have spent the past couple of months at hustings events all across the capital, sitting on a panel with my fellow Labour candidates, taking questions from the floor, many of which concern housing and in particular how we address inequality in London by persuading developers to provide proper levels of affordable and social housing. Strangely enough, none of the three candidates who have received donations from developers have ever mentioned this rather significant link.

Christian Wolmar is seeking the Labour nomination for the 2016 London mayoral election