MAYORAL ELECTIONS IN LONDON

That this House notes with dismay recent efforts to amend the Greater London Authority Bill to introduce term limits for the Mayor of London; further notes that the effect of the changes proposed by the Conservatives would be to bar Ken Livingstone from seeking re-election in 2008 and deny Londoners a democratic choice in next year's Mayoral election; recalls that the Conservatives previously sought to deny the ability of Londoners to decide who represented them by abolishing the Greater London Council; further recalls that as recently as January the Conservative Spokesperson said `we do not believe in term limits in principle or for the Mayor of London'; is disappointed but not surprised that less than six months later and after increasingly desperate and unsuccessful attempts to find a Conservative Mayoral candidate, the party has decided to try to prevent Ken Livingstone from winning again by limiting his term of office; is appalled that parties are now resorting to trying to change the rules when they cannot beat incumbents at the ballot box; believes that this is further evidence that the Conservative Party has no confidence in any of the potential Conservative candidates for Mayor of London; and calls on members of both Houses to support the right of Londoners to decide who should be the next Mayor of London.