ConservativeHome's London Mayor blog

Reservist Rotherham publishes his policing policy

Dr Lee Rotherham, the abolitionist candidate, has revealed that he is on the reserve list for the next stage of selection. We know at least one other, Simon Fawthrop, is also on the reserve list but not which one has the first slot. The interview stage was supposed to involve "about ten" candidates but only six have gone through, the chances of the reservists being needed depend on someone pulling out to endorse a frontrunner.

One of the shortlisted candidates has told us that they see their role purely as promoting their policy ideas now that Boris Johnson is in the running, but Rotherham's candidacy has always been about the policies rather than the candidate.

Even at this stage he has today published a detailed paper on policing.  A serious policy wonk himself, his five thousand words on the issue based on discussions with serving police officers are not to be sniffed at. Highlights include:

• Strict enforcement of Penalty Notices for Disorder
• Possibly shifting focus completely from soft drugs to hard drugs
• Ways of getting street policing to happen
• Allowing much more discretion over needless paperwork
• Role for grassroots police reps in mayor's activities
• Giving Brian Haw a peerage whilst restricting use of Parliament Square to standing-only protests
• Having a Washington DC style annual celebration of police bravery and commitment

Deputy Editor

Lee Rotherham's campaign video

Rotherham talks about having "a hands-off approach" to the mayoralty, asking David Cameron for the necessary parliamentary legislation to devolve the Mayor's powers to councillors when he becomes Prime Minister, taking a zero tolerance approach to drugs, and having statues to the latest military heroes in Trafalgar Square:

Heaton-Harris would be Mayor Rotherham's Waste Tsar

Chris Heaton-Harris MEP has accepted an offer by Dr Lee Rotherham to head up a "zero-based budgeting reappraisal of all of the GLA's expenditure" in the event of Rotherham becoming Mayor.

Heaton-Harris is a well-known eurosceptic MEP and a member of the European Parliament’s budget auditing committee. He's worked with Rotherham before in Brussels and on the popular Bumper Book of Government Waste. Commenting on the prospect of his role he said:

"There is so much unnecessary bureaucracy in Ken Livingstone’s office that I expect to find huge savings in only a few weeks. Taxpayers are currently funding the Mayor’s spin machine, as well as indulging his personal crusades, such as endorsing Hugo Chavez. Public money needs to be refocused to issues of real concern to Londoners, and I thank Lee for the opportunity to help him do that."

The main policy of Rotherham's candidacy is to work to abolish the mayoralty and he's pledged that he would take half-pay, have just one press officer and abolish the Londoner newspaper whilst in the process of doing so.

Deputy Editor

Rotherham launches campaign website

'Abolish mayoralty candidate' Lee Rotherham has launched his campaign website - New Start for London.

Letter from Mayor Rotherham to Home Secretary Davis

Sometime in the near future...

To: Rt Hon David Davis, MP, Home Secretary
From: Dr Lee Rotherham, Mayor of London

Dear Mr Davis,

Appointment of the Next Metropolitan Police Chief

Firstly, on a personal note, congratulations on your appointment to the Home Office. After the Conservatives’ recent victory in the General Election, I am delighted from a party political viewpoint to see that we now have people in government who are going to deliver results. Please, however, give me some advance notice if you intend to absail down any of our public buildings.

Down to business.

Under the Greater London Authority Act 1999 and associated legislation, the Mayor of London is required to fulfil a limited number of obligations regarding the policing of the Capital.

One of these, as you know, relates to the appointment of the new Metropolitan Police Commissioner. Given that we are now replacing a second Mr Blair in his role, I am required to provide you with some input and opinion.

On 'abolish mayoralty' platform, Lee Rotherham becomes sixth candidate

Lee Rotherham becomes the fifth sixth Tory to throw his hat into the contest to become Tory candidate for London Mayor.  Backed by Lord Tebbit, a long-standing foe of Ken Livingstone and London-wide government, and Marta Andreasen, the Eurosceptic Dr Rotherham will be standing on a Thatcherite small government ticket.

Dr Rotherham, co-author of The Taxpayer Alliance's Bumper Book of Government Waste, "will fight on a campaign of binning Labour’s extra tier of London government."  He promises to "ditch the Congestion Tax" and slash Ken Livingstone's controversial propaganda budget.

Dr Rotherham's stand out pledge, however, is to campaign for the abolition of the post of Mayor.  He wants to get elected to "push central government and Parliament to shut down this useless and expensive binge that is London Government".  As Mayor he promises to "‘dodo’ myself out of existence".  In the meantime, while fighting to abolish his post, borough leaders would develop London-wide policies as part of a roundtable that a Mayor Rotherham would chair.