What I would do about London's traffic problems

I want to be Mayor for London because I want a chance to tackle three issues which are interlinked; making our citizens feel more secure, dragging our transport system into the 21st Century and improving the quality of the environment for Londoners.

To do this we need strong City government not the messy, ineffective set-up we have now.

Citizen Safety; Transport; Environment. I put them in this order because I believe success in the first is essential to success in the others. It is self-defeating to have efficient public transport if groups of citizens, such as elderly people and women, are scared of using it.

The biggest increases in car usage in recent years have been among women. They feel safer. It's as simple as that. Who can blame parents who drive their children to school because they believe it's the only safe way to get them there?

We can create a comfortable and convenient public transport system - and we've got a very long way to go to achieve that goal - but we won't tempt people back onto buses and trains unless we make the vehicles and the stations safe.

Bobbies on buses are a welcome initiative - we'd like to see them in the East End. But what about the Underground? Every train and every station should be secure and feel safe, where necessary through uniformed security presence, particularly late at night. I often have to travel home late at night and it can be a disgusting and frightening experience. As Mayor, I would not tolerate the continuation of such an atmosphere.

The current Mayor would argue he is committed to trying to getting to grips with these problems, which in all fairness, are not of his making. The question is whether his priorities are right and whether he is moving fast enough.

His big transport test will come with the congestion charging. I am among those who believe he was wrong to introduce it in the first term. The fact is, however, that more than £200 million is being spent on its introduction, so realism dictates that the scheme should be given its chance to succeed or fail.

Judging success can't be a pure numbers game - the amount of cash it brings in or decline in overall vehicle numbers.

We all know the Ritz is a very democratic place. If you can afford the prices, you can dine there. My fear is that central London will become for motorists what the Ritz is for diners, a city fit for Jags and Mercs to drive in. We must demand an early review of the scheme and the Mayor must be big enough to scrap it - within a few months - if it isn't working.

In the meantime, doubters like myself will be examining alternatives such as heavy charges on company parking in central London, and even a ban on all but essential users in parts of the centre of the city.

So far the Mayor's biggest battle has been over PPP for the Tube. Be very clear - I don't like the PPP. As a matter of principle, I believe Londoners should decide on how best the Tube can be developed and how to get best value. Sadly, the Mayor has had good arguments but he's deployed them badly.

If elected Mayor, I will take the case to government for Londoners to be given more say. And I will fight for strong public services. But I will fight in partnership with other Londoners, not lawyers - who have already trousered too many millions of council tax money. I would engage in a constructive dialogue with government to win those arguments by demonstrating that London can deliver the best services.

Sadly, Londoners see the Mayoralty as weak and ineffective. That must have something to do with the distrust shown by Ministers towards the incumbent. They fear he will play the blame game and indulge in megaphone abuse.That's why I believe the Mayoralty needs a fresh start, which I believe I can provide. I was the first Labour politician to advance the idea of London having a directly elected mayor. I put forward a parliamentary bill as long ago as 1990. When I made the proposal, I also said it would take time to build confidence between government and mayor.

The safer streets and safer public transport for which I argue, won't come cheap. The Mayor and the GLA don't have the resources to do it on their own. The period between now and the election will provide the opportunity for me to formulate concrete plans in partnership with Labour ministers and borough representatives to make these proposals reality. I believe I can do this because I can create a new climate of trust.

As well as needing cash from government, City Hall also needs greater powers and influence to deal adequately with London's problems. Those powers can only come from the Government. Londoners, who want to see their city moving ahead and tackling the very serious challenges we face, need to ask themselves whether the current Mayor has the remotest chance of persuading Ministers to give him more power.

The fact is that there is a lack of trust which is undermining the office of Mayor. I believe that as the originator of the idea of an elected Mayor, and as someone who knows the way around Whitehall, I am uniquely qualified to bargain hard with Government to get for the Mayor the powers and resources to do the job that needs doing for London.