According to Indymedia Brian Haw, who has been camping outside Parliament for more than six years as an anti-war protest, is planning to stand as a candidate for London Mayor later this year although there is no mention of it on Brian’s own site. Here is an extract from his press statement:
Today’s London under Labour control is an unpleasant place to live and work. There is more crime, more congestion and more pollution after 8 years of Ken Livingstone in charge. Under Ken our transport fares have doubled. Mayor Brian Haw pledges to cut congestion and pollution by cutting bus and tube fares as well as scrapping the Congestion Charge and making more efficient use of our existing roads by dismantling certain Bus Lanes. Brian also cannot see the purpose of elongated buses for which London’s roads are totally unsuitable. Unlike Ken, as mayor, Brian Haw will promote the use of clean fuels such as Bio-Diesel, LPG and Electric delivery vans. Mayor Brian Haw will put our police back on the streets thereby making our children feel safer walking to school. Our parking fines and congestion charges have been used by Ken Livingstone’s GLA to buy illegal hollow nosed bullets as were used to murder Jean Charles de Menezes and now American Tasers for our police and therefore help pay for the phoney war on terror. Brian Haw will put our police back catching real criminals such as drug dealers, rapists and muggers. Ken Livingstone has supported Gordon Brown in his war against our Muslim brothers and sisters, therefore the blood is on his hands as much as Gordon Brown and Tony Blair.
We can all agree on the anti-war and fare reduction parts of that and many of us will approve of the anti-Livingstone bits too. The sentences about policing cause a sharp intake of breath though.
Is getting nominated by Channel Four viewers as ‘Most Inspiring Political Figure of the Decade” sufficient evidence of a massive support? Probably not. It’s still a little bit early to decide if there is a viable alternative candidate to Livingstone but I’m pretty confident it’s not Brian, no matter how laudable his protest has been.
Liam redux 
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