With the sacking of Steve Norris, Ken Livingstone is finally showing his true colours, writes BRIAN COLEMAN, the Conservative Greater London Assembly member for Barnet and Camden:

Yes it has finally happened: power has gone to his head and he has become an elected dictator.

No, I am not referring to President Blair or the beloved leader of Barnet Council Alan Williams, but that cuddly "man of the people", the Mayor of London Ken Livingstone.

The evidence this week is clear: his sacking of Steve Norris from the Board of Transport for London is total megalomania.

Let us be clear, the alleged reason given by Livingstone is that Steve has too many "conflicts of interest" his membership of the board of a bus company for example.

Presumably in Livingstone's perverted logic, Ollie Jackson of the Transport and General Workers Union has no such conflicts of interest.

Indeed the Government has just appointed Steve Norris to head a new committee dealing with the interests of cyclists.

Of course, Steve Norris famously dared to challenge the mayor (who acts as chairman of Transport for London) and his hoard of overpaid American imports led by Saint Bob Kiley (as Labour GLA Members sneeringly refer to the man who seems to spend more time appearing on Bbc Question Time and other shows than he does in his office).

Of course, Steve has consistently led the opposition to congestion charging. This should have come as no surprise to Livingstone, who knew Steve's position when he appointed him. Added to that Steve voted against the TfL draft budget for 2002/3 which included a shortfall of £115million.

Frankly, given half a chance I suspect most Londoners would vote against it as well when they realise this figure will have to be met from the precept and that as a result, council tax for Band D properties in Barnet will top £1,000.

This £115million will not even improve public transport in London but is purely the cost of setting up the nonsensical congestion charge.

However the removal of Steve Norris, who in the mayoral campaign was by far and away Livingstone's strongest challenger, is symptomatic of the bunker mentality which the Livingstone dictatorship of London has become. As the mayor looks increasingly tired, loses weight and has to deal with stories about his private life in the tabloids, so his cuddly image slips and the real Ken agenda appears.

Anyone who read his recent interview in the Daily Telegraph with his call for leniency for pro-Taliban fighters from Britain and his diatribe against Israeli policy in the West Bank, will recall his pro-Republican stance of the 1980s in Ireland.

As we look forward to 2002, I say roll on 2004 and let us end this elected dictatorship.

December 5, 2001 11:08