Healthy debate...

‘In terms of health inequalities – as you all know the mayor has no direct, or actually even indirect powers in the area of health and certainly no strategic powers in the area of health...’

Oona King in Brixton on Wednesday 18th August

Actually the Mayor does have powers over health; ‘The GLA Act 2007 extended the Mayor’s powers in relation to a number of key areas of public policy and decision-making, including housing, planning, health inequalities and climate change, and the Further Education and Training Act 2007 gave the Mayor new powers in relation to skills.3 Through these mechanisms the Mayor can exert significant power and influence over transport, policing, fire and emergency planning and economic development in London.’ 

Click here for more. 

And it may surprise Oona to know that the Mayors responsibilities include prepare a strategy to tackle London’s health inequalities and promote the reduction of health inequalities in London.

The Mayor even has a Health Adviser. Perhaps Oona should give her a call and find out a little more about this area of the Mayors office.
 

Is this a lack of policies...?

Oona says on MayorWatch: ‘When you to compare the ideas of Labour’s candidates you can see who’s taking London and Londoners more seriously: I’ve developed ideas that meet the challenges London faces, housing, crime, transport and more. Ken’s mentioned some ideas on Pubs and Music. Don’t get me wrong, our pubs and music industry provide jobs and entertainment; but not a single Londoner has said to me that these are their top issues – the challenges Londoners face deserve more thought, vision and energy to address them.’

Perhaps Oona has missed Ken’s policy launches and campaigns on:

London's economy, including key policies for transport eg fares

Making London the world’s first Smart City

Housing policy, and campaigning on housing benefit changes

Protecting safer neighbourhood policing and opposing Boris Johnson's police cuts

...and if Oona doesn’t see the importance of the music industry to London and the UK (the music industry is worth £3.6bn in 2008) her priorities are seriously misplaced...