ANNUAL REPORT PROVES 'LAME DUCK' LIVINGSTONE HAS RUN OUT OF IDEAS

12.01.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 9th Jun 2005

Commenting on the publication of the Mayor's Annual Report, leader of the London Assembly Liberal Democrat group, Graham Tope, said:-

"It is becoming increasingly clear that in his second term the Mayor is now seen as "Lame Duck" Livingstone.

"Ken Livingstone has failed to tackle many of the most important problems facing London and Londoners. This report demonstrates that in his second term, Ken Livingstone has run out of ideas and appears reliant on the Olympic 2012 bid being successful for him to justify his time as Mayor.

"The Mayor aims to fully roll out the neighbourhood policing scheme but there is no cash on the horizon to do this. He pledges to establish a London Climate Change Agency, but he has already admitted that London will fail to meet the targets set out in the Kyoto agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

"With the number of homeless household rising in the capital, recorded violent crime increasing by almost 10% in a year and recycling rates now the worst in England, it will be a long three years for Londoners as Ken Livingstone drags out his time as Mayor."

ENDS