Write up of the first of two hustings on the London Mayoral campaign. Homelessness; Housing; Digital Disadvantage; Hate Crime; Disenfranchising Young People; and questions around levels of support from the New Mayor and the London Assembly were up for discussion. The parties were represented by Baroness Liz Barker (Liberal Democrat Party), Caroline Russell (Green Party), Sam Malik (Conservative Party) and Fiona Twycross (Labour Party), with Francis Sealey from Globalnet 21 as Chair.

1. 1
London
Mayoral
Hustings
Report
13th April 2016
11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
London Met (Holloway
Campus), 166-220
Holloway Road, London
N7 8DB

2. 2
Contents
Agenda 3
Speakers in Attendance 3
Context and Background 4
Introductory statement by each candidate 5
Q&A from floor 9
Concluding statements 19
Appendix 21
Panel biographies 21
This report has been compiled from notes taken as the event was ongoing. We have tried
to represent the statements of each candidate, and their responses to questions from the
floor, as accurately as possible. However, the statements and responses attributed here to
each candidate are in concise note form, and are not word for word.

3. 3
Agenda
Baroness Liz Barker (Liberal Democrat Party)
Caroline Russell (Green Party)
Sam Malik (Conservative Party)
Fiona Twycross (Labour Party)
Chair: Francis Sealey (Globalnet 21)
• Introduction and welcome
• LVSC voluntary sector position statement
• Brief statement by each candidate (5 minutes
each)
• Q&A from floor
• Concluding statement by each candidate (3
minutes each)
• Close, followed by networking and light
refreshments
Speakers
attending

4. 4
London has over 60,000 Voluntary Community
and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations whose
collective action makes London the diverse and
wonderful place it is, in addition to the jobs the VCSE
sector creates, the safeguards ensured and the wider
contribution made to the economy.
Yet the VCSE has hardly featured in the election,
nor does it merit a Greater London Authority (GLA)
strategy or plan of action in its own right.
The London Voluntary Service Council (LVSC) seeks
to address this opportunity by its advocacy as
articulated in its manifesto with six key asks for wider
engagement: development of a VCSE plan, a focus
on equalities implementation, improved outcomes
around commissioning, access to private sector
philanthropy and support to harness digital tech.
Atthisevent,hostedjointlywithLondonMetUniversity,
we will hear from the parties, their candidates and
their representatives and consider their response to
these asks and wider sector concerns.
Context and
background
For further details you can
also contact Matt Scott
(LVSC Policy Manager)
Email: matt@lvsc.org.uk
Twitter: @Matt_LVSC
M 07827 258411 Tel 020 7832 5806
www.lvsc.org.uk

5. 5
Fiona Twycross
• Focussed on campaigning for equality and low
pay
• Sadiq Khan will be an inclusive Mayor for all
Londoners
• VCSE will play a big part in delivering his
programme
• Londoners are being priced out of housing
• London is becoming closed to young people
• Sadiq Khan will support enterprise, make London
environmentally friendly, freeze transport fares
and prioritise equality
• The previous Mayor set back the VCSE sector by
equating it with volunteering
• The VCSE sector has been hit by cuts but is
expected to deliver more
• Sadiq Khan will develop a city wide approach
for the VCSE sector which will include
commissioning and procurement for social
enterprises to win contracts, having a strategy
led by a chief digital officer and ensuring the
sector is included in the work of the Mayor and
GLA.
Introductory statement by
each candidate

6. 6
Caroline Russell • It has been a privilege during the campaign to
meet people in the VCSE sector
• The work of the VCSE sector has made a
great impact on fundamental issues, including
homelessness
• With less social housing, Londoners are
struggling to pay rents and face evictions
• Cuts are affecting every area of the city
• Without the VCSE sector people fall through the
cracks
• The Green Party manifesto was written by
listening to people in meetings with the VCSE
sector
• We need to work with communities, and make
sure communities and community organisations
are coming into City Hall, and shaping the way
services develop
• It is crucial to listen and involve VCSE people in
decision making
• The Green Party candidate supports all the LVSC
manifesto ‘asks’

7. 7
Sam Malik • Standing as Assembly member Conservative
Party candidate for London North East
• Young people in London are facing great
difficulties; the average age of the London
Assembly representatives is too old
• The VCSE sector aids cohesion in communities
• The costs of imprisoning young offenders can be
avoided by working with community groups who
can offer support and take preventative action
• As Conservative Party candidate, Zac Goldsmith
will work with the VCSE sector to make positive
change.

8. 8
Liz Barker • The Lib Dem Mayoral candidate, Caroline
Pidgeon, is experienced across a wide range of
social policy areas
• Caroline Pidgeon is committed to tackling
housing issues
• The Mayor of London must work in partnership,
with both the private and VCSE sectors
• It is important for VCSE groups to prove the
value of what they do and the difference the
sector makes
• A Mayor should work with the VCSE sector to
prove their value
• The demands of contracts and commissioning
have often prevented the VCSE sector from
supporting minority groups and young people
• We need to deliver new outcomes in an age-
friendly city. More people with no children will be
among the aged. This has implications for service
delivery
• Charities need to develop a relationship
with supporters and digital capability is very
important.

9. 9
Q&A from floor

10. 10
Question: There is no one in Mayor’s office to speak
to for the voluntary sector. What will your
candidate do, and what relationships can
be developed?
Previous mayors haven’t engaged with
the voluntary sector. In the past, visits to
City Hall by the voluntary sector, seeking
to work with the Mayor, got side-lined. Is
this going to change?
Fiona Twycross (Labour): Sadiq Khan is committed to working in partnership
with the VCSE sector and will provide a direct line
of communication. There is a commitment to work
with and meet with the sector. Strategy is important
and a future plan must be clear and spell out what
support the sector will get.
Caroline Russell (Green): Transport campaigners have been struggling to
get City Hall to listen. Having a person in City
Hall makes a difference. Relationships with the
voluntary sector are threaded throughout the
Green manifesto. Having one named person in the
Assembly as a point of contact and conversation for
the VCSE sector is an excellent idea.
Sam Malik (Conservative): Having one person who is a direct point of contact
appointed in City Hall is important. Zac Goldsmith
feels it is important to include the voluntary sector in
City Hall and in GLA policy.
Liz Barker
(Liberal
Democrats):
30 years ago, coming out as gay was career suicide.
All the work for change was done by the voluntary
sector. Now equality has prevailed, because people
in the voluntary sector took it as their objective
to campaign. Having specific objectives in mind is
key. It is important to have a person to contact, but
objectives and outcomes are most important. We
should look at outcomes in manifestos, and engage
the voluntary sector this way. The voluntary sector
is big and diverse, and not always easy to engage
with. The sector has to address this too, this is a
reciprocal challenge.

11. 11
Question: What is you party candidate’s position on
hate crime (with respect to race, disability,
faith and further aspects of diversity)?
How will you work to respond to the
problem? Is it in your manifesto?
Fiona Twycross (Labour): Hate crime is a priority in the policing element of
the Labour manifesto. We will direct the London
Metropolitan police force to adopt a zero tolerance
approach to hate crime, which is on the rise with
respect to age, gender, sexuality, religion, race and
disability. Tackling hate crime is a key part of our
policing policy.
Caroline Russell (Green): Hate crime is a serious issue in a range of contexts,
whether it be domestic abuse, or online. I am amazed
by the strength of local community in the face of
incidences of hate crime. People come together,
across religions and community organisations, working
to build relationships. London needs a police force
that looks like the citizens of London. The London
Metropolitan police force should employ positive
action measures in order to even things up with
regards representation.
Sam Malik (Conservative): Zac Goldsmith takes a zero tolerance approach to
hate crime of any type. We want a more diverse
police force, open to and capable of engaging in
dialogue. In diverse London, people experience a
barrier to engagement with the police because they
feel that they don’t have someone to speak to. Hate
crime on public transport is a serious concern. We
need more officers on public transport to prevent
these hate crimes.
Liz Barker
(Liberal
Democrats):
We are committed to a changing of the Equalities
Act, to make the characteristics protected by the act
more widely drawn and inclusive. The Mayor’s job
is to lead by example. The Mayor should facilitate
discussion between communities and broker
understanding between communities which don’t
engage with each other, to break down prejudice.

12. 12
Question: Do the panel believe that racism has
eased with regard to the Afro-Caribbean
community? Have things improved for
young Black men?
Fiona Twycross (Labour): We are against a blanket approach to racism. We
should look at communities and groups in their
own right. The problem is ongoing, young Black
people living on council estates are less likely to
be employed. The Mayor’s Mentoring Scheme has
failed. Failure to address this will harm another
generation. Sadiq Khan wants every Londoner,
irrespective of background to have the same
opportunities that he had. He will implement the
Skills for Londoners programme.
Caroline Russell (Green): We should never be complacent. Racial discrimination
is still a big issue. Stop and search figures are evidence
of the ongoing problem and the police should be held
to account. Charities help young people to deal with
stop and search. And voluntary sector organisations
help young people to improve their relationship with
the police. But youth services in Islington have been
decimated by cuts. And young people don’t consider
the police as being there to keep them safe.
Sam Malik (Conservative): Racism is still a problem for minorities and
communities as a whole. MPs need to be
responsible for the secondary schools in their
constituency. We must make MPs more accountable.
And, show the young and disadvantaged that
there are people like them who prospered – David
Lammy, for example. We must empower London’s
youth. We need to put more money into mentoring
programmes. And show the diverse London youth
that people from all backgrounds can succeed.
Liz Barker
(Liberal
Democrats):
No, the problem has not disappeared. Things have
changed over 30 years. But, what was done to Afro-
Caribbeans 30 years ago has long lasting effects.
The problem won’t go away if we continue with a
differential way of treating Afro-Caribbeans with
respect to mental health and criminal justice. Racism
is less acceptable now, but perhaps this could cause
the racism that does exist today, just less in the
open, not to be paid enough attention.

13. 13
Question: The youth services, voluntary and
statutory have been decimated. Young
people are losing their voice and they
need youth workers. The young are being
denied access to services. What is your
commitment? Will you address this?
What about the next generation of young
people?
Fiona Twycross (Labour): We need to restore services in order to even the
playing field. Kids can improve exam results, but
we have to go beyond exam results to ensure
opportunities. Kids need doors to be open, too,
not just good exam results. We can’t allow a system
where careers are open to someone because of
social networks that are closed to others. Mentor
schemes have a role.
Caroline Russell (Green): There are significant problems with youth services,
in particular with universal youth services. They have
been decimated by Government cuts. When young
people are asked about the violent crimes that they
are vulnerable to, and how to stay safe, they don’t
think of the police as a way to stay safe. This is a
fundamental and systemic issue. The Mayor and
Assembly members must treat very seriously.
Sam Malik (Conservative): We have to empower our youth to do the best
that they can possibly do. Zac wants to push more
money into mentoring programmes. The best way to
empower young people is to show them that there
is people like them who have achieved good things.
We need to get more voluntary sector people in to
help us empower London’s youth.
Liz Barker
(Liberal
Democrats):
We need to know what the service’s outcomes
are, and how much difference a service makes.
The absence of data on the impact of cuts to
youth services is problematic. The Mayor should
try to engage different sectors regarding youth
opportunities. The private sector can be engaged
regarding apprenticeships, for example. How do
you open up tech opportunities to kids from council
estates? Some private sector companies are working
on this.

14. 14
Question: How do you feel about having a housing
structure that deliberately misleads to
people? The Government is allowing
housing agencies to act illegally. Agencies
don’t give out homelessness forms.
Rather, they give out housing forms to the
homeless. And the houses being built are
private, not social housing. What is the
Mayor going to do?
Fiona Twycross (Labour): Sadiq Khan has a policy of no first night out. We
will address the root causes directly. We must build
more homes. But what mechanisms enable this?
Sadiq Khan is committed to having a team in City
Hall building homes, and working with councils too.
Committed to more social housing, and working
with housing associations. We want to re-define
what we think affordable is. Our policy on rent is
effectively what Shelter propose. People should be
able to afford a life beyond their rent.
Caroline Russell (Green): The idea that there is no second night out is
mendacious. No one knows about the first night out.
The reality is weeks out for the homeless. The list of
priority need requirements is too long. Land values
have rocketed and new builds have been investment
opportunities, not flats for people who need a home
to live in. Not enough social homes are being built.
Councils are forced to sell off council homes.
Sam Malik (Conservative): Housing is one of the biggest issues in this election.
Zac will work to combine support for councils and
housing associations for a London-wide housing
fund. We want to help councils borrow money to
build more housing. We will help with the lack of
availability by freeing up more land and housing.
And, apprenticeships will be created for young
people to work on the building of new houses.
Liz Barker (Liberal
Democrats):
Yes, the availability of housing is a problem. And we
need to question what affordable means in London.
But, there is also the issue of judicial review. We are
against the Government’s restrictions on judicial
review. Small charities have expertise but no money
to fund judicial review cases. This is an ongoing
issue on terms of social justice.

15. 15
Question: Digital tech has been powerful in the
economy, and in shaping who has a voice.
Are the voluntary organisations, and your
parties, up to speed in tech capabilities?
Fiona Twycross (Labour): Sadiq Khan has committed to having a chief digital
officer to propagate inclusiveness, and we want to
include the voluntary sector. We can’t assume, just
by having a digital strategy and giving access to
information online, that people can afford tech or
are able to use it. People need advice and support
through services that connect them with people who
are there to help them.
Caroline Russell (Green): I agree that some people will be excluded if our
advice and support services become digitalised and
go online, this is a concern. I am worried about the
proposal to scan Twitter/Facebook for radicalisation.
We must be very careful not to make assumptions
about people and their religion. There is a danger
to surveillance via social media, and it is something
that needs clear safeguards. But, tech – the internet,
access to information and communication tools –
is empowering, you don’t need a big company or
resources to be able to do some complex sharing,
meeting, collaboration, campaigning or learning. Tech
opens up access to information for people that was
previously difficult to access. But we must be aware
of the many who don’t have access or the knowledge
required to use tech.
Sam Malik (Conservative): Zac Goldsmith will appoint a chief data officer to
work with the police to publish statistics regarding
discrimination in the workplace, for example. We
also want a smarter city, we want to implement
smarter ways to measure pollution, traffic and the
health of Londoners. Also, broadband is too slow.
We want to put broadband wires through the tube
tunnels so that all Londoners can enjoy high-speed
broadband. Zac wants to set up a team of social
media experts to find and follow up radicalisation
material on the internet.

16. 16
Liz Barker
(Liberal
Democrats):
Digital tech will change every aspect of our lives.
To date, tech as been viewed as something to help
us achieve tasks. But, companies are beginning
to use predictive data, to have an impact in areas
like education and social impact. But the voluntary
sector is a step behind – because of funding. Also,
the Government is somewhat behind. The role of
the Mayor should be to use their clout with the big
companies to set an agenda for considering their
role in developing jobs for the disadvantaged. There
should be someone who the Mayor speaks to in the
private sector about this.

17. 17
Questions for
specific candidates:
What is ‘Skills for Londoners’? Where will
the money come from? - for Fiona Twycross
(Labour)
Mentoring is useful but not cheap.
Mentoring hasn’t worked, will it continue as
before? We need resources if it is to work. -
for Sam Malik (Conservative)
Fiona Twycross (Labour): We can ensure there is money for Skills for
Londoners (SFL) and that it is used effectively, this is
an area devolved to the Mayor. SFL is focuses on the
fact that opportunities aren’t equal, and the lack of
key skills as a barrier to opportunity. For example,
we want to give construction skills to young people.
Equality is at the heart of SFL – racial equality and
gender equality, disparity in apprenticeship places
and so on. Opportunities in construction are going
to males. Opportunities should be diversified. Sadiq
will be a champion for skills in London. Closing the
gender pay gap is a priority.
Sam Malik (Conservative): Mentoring is only a small part of the wider solution.
Zac will work with disability charities, and push for
inclusive apprenticeships for vulnerable people.
He wants to use a larger portion youth justice
budget to fund mentoring programmes, inclusive
apprenticeships. And we will incorporate this with
our housing plan. We want to empower young men
and women to play an active part in building these
new houses.

18. 18
Question: What can be done to facilitate the building
of temporary transition shelters? People
in need are being told they have to sleep
rough for 3 days before receiving help.
They are told by the council that they are
only entitled to housing when very ill. Could
faith groups, for example, build a temporary
shelter? How can this be facilitated by the
Mayor?
Fiona Twycross (Labour): We should be wary of solutions that entrench
issues. It is important to support groups that want
to address short term needs, but we need to work
for long term solutions that mean these temporary
measures are no longer needed. We need to
make sure that groups can support people facing
crisis, but we mustn’t view this kind of help as a
replacement for an effective social security net.
Caroline Russell (Green): We need more homes. We also need different models
for how we use the homes. We can learn a lot from
different models of living, models for using the homes
we have. Transport for London (TFL) have land being
used for development, and it shouldn’t be used for
offices, it should be used for permanently affordable
homes, it should stay in public ownership. We have
to stop the selling-off of public assets and letting the
developers take the profits.
Sam Malik (Conservative): Temporary accommodation is very important, Zac
has been working with the Veterans Trust to bring
veterans off of the street. And he will ensure money
for tackling youth homelessness too. We want to
put more money into building that will help the
vulnerable people on the streets of London.
Liz Barker
(Liberal
Democrats):
The role of small community and faith organisations
in dealing with social issues has to be considered
more imaginatively. It is time to be inclusive of faith
groups as community assets. Faith is a focal point of
practically every community in diverse London. This
has been shied way from.

19. 19
Concluding
statements from
candidates
At the moment, the voluntary sector is
picking up the pieces of the statutory safety
net which is being devastated. How can
the Mayor help? How can the Mayor make
sure that resources are going to community
groups that are preventing people from going
homeless and starving?
Fiona Twycross (Labour): We will take a city-wide approach to the VCSE
sector, while looking at specific areas and groups.
There has not been action taken on food poverty.
This is an issue that we are committed to tackling
as a priority. We have a food strategy, looking at
London as a city for which hunger and malnutrition
is an issue, for both young and old. Tackling poverty
and destitution long-term has to be about getting
people into work. Making London a living wage city
is key, this will mean working in partnership with the
VCSE sector. And the sector must have someone in
City Hall to go to.
Caroline Russell (Green): The Mayor has power over housing, through planning,
and he should use this to make a difference. The
Mayor and Assembly members have the power to
hold the police to account. The Mayor can make
transport affordable. Sian Berry will flatten-out fares
so that those forced to live further out in London
will at least not be paying more money for travel
than those who live further in. Regarding business,
there is a duty to ensure that the big companies are
playing their part and contributing to the community
– paying their fair share of taxes, and actively
supporting communities. Holding bodies accountable
is important.

20. 20
Sam Malik (Conservative): Zac wants more of the youth justice budget to
alleviate homelessness. The Mayor needs to work
with the Government to get the funding for the
voluntary sector that is so urgently needed. The
Mayor needs to work with different members of the
voluntary sector and the GLA in order to to achieve
the services that the Mayor can’t achieve alone.
Liz Barker
(Liberal
Democrats):
The voluntary sector has a unique relationship
with those in need of help, and an insight into the
causes of social problems. Charities have sought to
ameliorate problems and tackle causes. The Mayor
must draw together funding, enable funding from
the private sector, and help communities to use tech
in order to focus on the causes of problems.

21. 21
Appendix
Panel biographies

22. 22
Baroness Liz Barker
(Lib Dem Party)
Liz Barker, born in 1961, was created a Life Peer
in 1999. She attended Dalziel High School in
Motherwell, Lanarkshire, Scotland, and after going to
Broadway School in Oldham went on to Southampton
University. Baroness Barker joined the Liberal Party in
1979, when she also became a member of the Union
of Liberal Students, which she chaired from 1982 to
1983. During the same year, she took membership
of the Liberal Party National Executive. Liz became
a member of the Federal Policy Committee in 1997,
and was chair of the Liberal Democrat Federal
Conference Committee. She has chaired many policy
working groups, including those on the Future of
Social Services, Liberal Democracy, Freedom and
Fairness for Women, An Age of Opportunity and The
Future of the Voluntary Sector.
From 2004-2010, Liz became Spokesperson on
Health for the Liberal Democrats in the Lords and
remains a member of the Health and Social Care
Team. Liz is a Trustee to the Andy Lawson Memorial
Fund, and her other special interests include health,
social services, charities and social enterprise. Liberal
Democrats were the first party to support Equal
Marriage. Liz came out during the Second Reading of
the Equal Marriage Bill in June 2013 and has gone on
to support a wide range of LGBT charities. Liz runs
a small consultancy which provides strategic business
development support to charities, social enterprises
and statutory authorities. Liz has particular interest
in developing best practice in governance and
relationships between third sector organisations and
businesses. In 2015 Liz was appointed as the Liberal
Democrat Spokesperson for the Voluntary Sector and
Social Enterprise.

23. 23
Sam Malik
(Conservative
Party)
“As a recent graduate it is a privilege to be selected
as the Conservative London Assembly Candidate
for Hackney, Islington and Waltham Forest. “I want
to be your London Assembly Member because I am
experiencing first-hand what it is like to be a young
adult in today’s London. My generation of Londoners
work hard, but we face real challenges to pay our
rent, let alone buy a home.
“I have witnessed first hand the difficulties young
people face in our city. When knives were brought in
to my school, my classmates perhaps didn’t think they
would be the ones getting hurt. They were caught,
expelled, and their futures wasted. I avoided that,
but I would use my role as your London Assembly
Member to take the message to every school in
Hackney, Islington & Waltham Forest to give the next
generation the best chances of avoiding such terrible
outcomes.
“As your representative I will not only work to deliver
more homes, better transport, cleaner air and safer
streets, but also use my experience of growing up in
London to take an active role in improving the lives of
everyone in our city.”

24. 24
Caroline Russell
(Green Party)
Caroline Russell has lived in Highbury since 1992. She
is a walking and cycling campaigner who successfully
made the case for 20mph limits on main roads
in Islington. She works part-time for the national
walking charity Living Streets. Caroline has been
a parent governor at Canonbury Primary School, is
Chair of Islington Living Streets, Chairs the Highbury
East Safer Neighbourhood police meetings and is a
vociferous campaigner for clean air. She led the 2011
community science project that revealed pollution
levels on Blackstock Rd that were 75% above EU
safety limits. Cllr Caroline Russell was elected in
2014 and holds the only opposition seat to Labour’s
47 seats across the borough.
“My primary focus for the next four years will be
to serve the people of Highbury East, working
constructively with Labour councillor colleagues when
they are working in the best interests of residents and
challenging them when they fail to do so. Ensuring
effective scrutiny and accountability will be hard,
especially as a lone councillor, but I look forward to
working with residents, community groups and Green
Party activists to keep the town hall accountable,
support public services and work for a sustainable
economy and environment in Islington.”
“I will also be a champion for clean air and more
liveable, inclusive streets, where walking and cycling
are safe, convenient and a pleasure for people of all
ages and those with disabilities.”

25. 25
Fiona Twycross
(Labour Party)
I have been a Labour Londonwide Assembly Member
since 2012 and Vice Chair of the London Fire and
Emergency Planning Authority since July 2013. I was
elected Chair of the Assembly’s Economy Committee
in May 2015 and am spokesperson for City Hall Labour
on Fire, the Economy and Welfare. As Leader of the
Labour Group on the London Fire Authority, I have
been leading the campaign against Boris Johnson’s
cuts to our emergency services. I am a member of
the Housing Committee and Audit Panel and have
previously sat on the Health Committee and the
Police and Crime Committee.
On Boris Johnson’s watch in-work poverty and
inequality has risen. This is set to get even worse under
the current government as redefining the problem
doesn’t make it go away. Many working families are
having to juggle to make ends meet as bills are rising
and wages effectively falling. I have investigated and
am campaigning on food poverty, low pay and zero
hours contracts. Some of the most powerful issues
I raise with the Mayor have been suggested to me
by Londoners. Please do get in touch if you want
information on the work of the Assembly or would
like me to raise a question on your behalf.

26. 26
Francis Sealey
(Globalnet 21
and hustings
chair)
Francis Sealey was a Producer and Executive Producer
for many years working for both the BBC Open
University and the Community Programmes Unit.
Since 1993 he has been a freelance producer working
with a number of training, public and voluntary
organisations. In 2007 he founded 21st Century
Network (now GlobalNet21) to help recreate public
space and bring genuine debate back to public life.
GlobalNet 21 has grown significantly and now hosts
manymeetings,webinarsandpodcastsandusessocial
networks as an important way to publicly engage.
Francis Sealey is now Chairman of GlobalNet21 and
with others is now responsible for its activities and
development. Francis has also published a book
called “Global Public Square; Identity and Action in
the 21st Century” that looks at personal and social
change and the relationship between them in that
age of social networks.

27. 27