'Scared' Mayor cancels meeting with critics

Ken Livingstone has pulled out of a key public debate on his policies to hold emergency talks on his transport plans.

The Mayor has cancelled a longstanding arrangement to host a public question-and-answer session about his record. He claims he is "too busy" to stage the event, called Listening To London.

It is an annual fixture at the Liberal Democrat party conference and is an opportunity for the public to grill him on his record. It was due to take place on Wednesday - the day after he is expected to announce huge Tube and bus fare increases.

Today it emerged that he has been forced to clear his diary. He is expected to spend the day locked in emergency talks over the transport budget.

Party officials are furious at the lastminute cancellation. A Liberal Democrat spokesman said: "It appears the Mayor is running scared from dealing with the tricky questions Londoners and Lib-Dems would have put to him about the massive hike in Tube and bus fares." The fare increases are designed to plug a looming multi-million-pound shortfall in London's transport budget.

The Mayor - who repeatedly promised not to raise Tube fares above inflation during his election campaign - insists the increases are necessary to maintain a decent service and blames the Government for giving him less money than he requires.

Some major transport projects may have to be postponed, or shelved. It is understood the Mayor will spend Wednesday discussing which schemes should be given priority.

The Mayor's plans for overhauling London's transport system are expected to involve re-drawing the public transport zones. At a fringe meeting at the Liberal Democrat conference today, critics accused him of trying to use the rezoning plans to deflect attention from the fare rises which are expected to take effect in January.