In the New Statesman Ken Livingstone writes:

“The mayor of London’s new and greater powers over housing should provide a springboard for radical advance, both for the present more difficult economic situation and in preparation for economic recovery."

"Under a key plank of the London-wide policy that I set – that half of all new homes ahould be affordable – developers and boroughs had to strive to do their utmost to meet the housing needs of Londoners. By the time of the London mayoral elections in 2008 that policy was already delivering more cheap homes than at any time since 1977.

You might well ask, if the policy of reducing pressure for affordable homes is so effective why did it not deliver when the Tories were last in power? The answer is obvious – reduced pressure on developers and borough planning committees is the wrong approach.

This is how we are going to change the world. I should be in charge.

New works by Bob and Roberta Smith
19 February-10 April

Hales Gallery, TEA BUILDING, 7 BETHNAL GREEN ROAD, LONDON, E1 6LA

Bob and Roberta Smith are asking you to be part of the show and “help change the world”.

Using pen and paper, the postal system and Facebook, Bob and Roberta Smith are inviting people to help them write a series of letters to leading politicians over four Saturdays in March. Each Saturday they will focus on a different politician, asking them to comment on relevant issues.

Letters include writing to Munira Mirza, the Mayor's Cultural Adviser, asking “why when the BNP are gaining a foothold in London, has she and the Mayor cut London’s Anti Racism Festival, 'RISE' and funding for other music festivals just at a time when they are needed more than ever?”

People are also invited to decorate their letters, turning them into drawings or posters.

All sessions will commence at 1pm at Hales Gallery, pens and paper will be provided and all letters will be collected at the end of the day and sent to the intended recipient the following Monday.

by Simon Birkett, Founder of the cross-party Campaign for Clean Air in London (CCAL)

I emphasised two points at the Progressive London conference.

First, air pollution in London is much worse than most of us have realised.  It averages over twice the maximum level recommended by the World Health Organisation near our busiest roads.  Why has the government therefore failed to use the readily understood international metric of ‘premature deaths’ to warn people about the impact of poor air quality when it saw updated health assessments in 2001, 2006 and 2009?  Why has it been so slow generally in updating air quality statistics?

This Saturday, 20 February, Ken Livingstone is to join a host of speakers from across the progressive poltical sphere, trade unions, academia, the media, sports, culture, business and the Irish commuity at a conference "Putting Irish Unity on the Agenda".

Following the positive steps made through the peace process and the Good Friday Agreement the British government are signed up for the first time ever to a commitment for a united Ireland, should the majority of Irish people want it. The conference which takes place at Congress House, comes at a crucuial time, just this week the Hillsborough agreement is paving the way for policing and justice to be devolved to the Stormont Assembly.

This conference is a fantastic oppurtunity to participate in this important debate.

In the run-up to the conference Ken Livingstone writes:

"The recent agreement at Hillsborough was the latest step forward in what has been an incredible positive advance, which many thought could never happen. Unparalleled opportunities for peace and reconciliation have been created, and the basis for addressing the deep rooted discrimination and exclusion in the north of Ireland, and for a new, inclusive arrangement. Despite the current economic crisis, affecting all of us and hitting Ireland particularly hard, there still exists immense good will and the prospect of economic prosperity in place of conflict and division.

A clear lesson of Ireland’s peace process is that dialogue and inclusivity, to address the heart of any problem, is the key to resolving conflict. During the time of the 1981-86 Greater London Council and many subsequent occasions, I was attacked for advocating this approach in relation to Ireland. Later governments came to accept that developing a political process and solution through dialogue was indeed the way forward."

He continues:

"Through inclusive dialogue, based on democratic mandates, the Good Friday Agreement laid out a clear basis forward. The principle of self-determination and the recognition of the political legitimacy of those who want a united Ireland are also clearly enshrined. For those of us in Britain who have long supported this, there is a clear opportunity now to develop the discussion and to support and assist the process – and to affect what the government here does.

One of Labour’s great achievements in government has been the peace process and the Good Friday Agreement. This carefully negotiated document works in many aspects, but in particular because it ensures power sharing and an end to any notion that there can be one-party rule, or reducing anyone in the community to second class citizens."

"I am particularly pleased to be participating on 20 February to join the discussion on Ireland’s future and how we, here, can support what continues to be a hugely positive progression in the relationship between our two islands."

Read the full article on Left Foot Forward here.

To register for the conference in advance and for more information click here or go to http://www.londonirishunityconference.org