Edward Davey MP - Press releases

Issued by: Keith Reed
Embargo: Immediate, 16/08/99

Susan Kramer is the best candidate to take on the job of Mayor - Davey

Edward Davey MP backs Lib Dem candidate to become Mayor of London.

In response to the recent announcement that Susan Kramer has been chosen as the Liberal Democrat candidate for London Mayor, Kingston & Surbiton’s MP Edward Davey welcomed her pledge to make tackling London’s transport chaos her number one priority.

Susan Kramer won 62% of the final vote in a ballot of all Liberal Democrat members in London. She is a leading businesswoman specialising in the financing of major transport infrastructure projects. Susan, 49, lives with her husband John in Barnes and has two children, Jonathan, 25, and Abigail, 22.

At a press conference with Liberal Democrat Leader Charles Kennedy at the National Gallery to announce her candidacy, Susan Kramer said:

"Sorting out London’s transport will be my number one priority. A reliable, comfortable and safe system. I want to get London moving. This is a new kind of election. Londoners have the chance to look beyond simple
party politics. This is about getting the right person for the job".

Delighted at the news, Edward Davey said:

"Susan fits the job description. Susan Kramer has impressive credentials to fill the post of Mayor. She has extensive business experience. Susan Kramer will voice the concerns of local residents passionately and forcefully."

Responding to her pledge to walk every high street in the capital before the end of the campaign, Edward said:

"Local residents will have a chance to meet her and tell her their concerns as she will be coming to a high street near you soon."

ENDS

Notes to Editors
1. Copy of Charles Kennedy’s response to Susan Kramer’s candidature.
2. Susan Kramer’s candidate acceptance speech.
3. Susan Kramer’s personal biography.

1. Charles Kennedy

I am delighted, at my first press conference as Liberal Democrat Leader, to introduce to you our candidate for next year’s Mayor of London election, Susan Kramer.

Susan was the winner of the most democratic selection procedure any party has for their Mayoral candidate. Every Liberal Democrat member in the capital had a vote. And they had a great choice of candidates: our shortlist looked like London: male and female, black and white.

Susan Kramer has impressive credentials to fill the post of Mayor. She has extensive business experience. She has the highest academic record. And she has a supportive family, including her husband John.

Susan fits the job description in a way that no other candidate from the other parties does. They are all marginal in their parties and detached from their leaderships.

We are told Tony Blair wants a dynamic London Mayor who understands business, not a political retread. Someone who can get to grips with the problems confronting Londoners. In that case, he will join me in backing Susan.

But more importantly, Londoners want a Mayor who knows their concerns - transport, strong communities, cracking down on crime - and articulates them passionately and forcefully. Susan Kramer is that candidate.

ENDS

2. Susan Kramer

I have three goals for London - tackling London’s transport chaos, creating integrated communities and cracking down on crime and the fear of crime.

Sorting out London’s transport problems will be my number one priority. My professional experience as a financial consultant, working on transport projects, tells me that we can find the funding and deliver the solutions.

I will fight to keep the Tube in public hands, run in the public interest. I will establish a Transport Trust to issue bonds to raise the billions urgently needed to rescue London’s public transport.

I want to get London moving. A reliable, comfortable and safe system. I want women to able to travel safely on the tube at night. I want London’s transport to be affordable. And I want it to be accessible for people with disabilities.

Londoners know that the Tories bungled the privatisation of the railways and let commuters down. It is a disgrace that Labour is about to sell-off parts of the tube just hours before the Mayor comes into office. I will bring leadership to tackling London’s transport chaos.

This is a new kind of election. Londoners have the chance to look beyond simple party politics. This is about getting the right person for the job. I want to re-connect Londoners with politics.

I will win this election by speaking directly to the people of London and consulting Londoners on the issues that matter to them.

So from now until election day, I will walk every High Street in London. All Londoners are invited. Share your issues with me. I will share my plans with you. No-one will need an appointment, just join us on the walk.

Together we will walk all the way to the Mayor’s office. But after that we won’t forget how we got there. This will be a real campaign on real issues but it will be a fun campaign. Get out your walking boots. Keep up with my campaign - I am going to win!

ENDS

3. Susan Kramer profile

Personal details:

Born 21 July 1950. Aged 49.
Married to John, they live in Barnes.
Children: Jonathan (25) and Abigail (22).

Employment:
Susan is a leading businesswoman. A transport expert, she is a Partner in Kramer and Associates, consulting on infrastructure projects in Central and Eastern Europe, chiefly Hungary, Poland, Romania and Austria. Advisory Board member of Vienna-based CAIB infrastructure Project Advisers (Bank Austria) advising on infrastructure financing.

Former Vice-President, Citibank, Chicago.

Political Experience:
Westminster: Dulwich and West Norwood, 1997
European Parliament: London region, 1999

Education and Qualifications:
St Paul Girls’ School, HammersmithBA (Hons) PPE, St Hilda’s College, Oxford
President of the Oxford Union (1971) (2nd woman President) MBA, University of Illinois

Interests and activities:
School Governor in Richmond upon Thames and Lambeth Theatre (performed at 1970 Edinburgh fringe), travel and reading
Susan and John enjoy the great variety of London life, particularly visiting the Globe Theatre and seeing special exhibitions at the Tate.
Susan even tries her hand at a spot of flamenco dancing.

ENDS

Crime and Graffiti

Issued by: Edward Davey MP
Embargo: Immediate, 20/8/99

MP calls for partnership to tackle Kingston's graffiti epidemic

"By working together can we beat these vandals" - Davey

Following reports to his office that incidents of graffiti and vandalism are on the increase, Edward Davey MP, has been holding a series of meetings to try and discover how local agencies plan to tackle these problems. In the past few weeks he has met with the Chief Superintendent of Kingston Police and Directors at Kingston Council to encourage partnership efforts to combat this anti-social behaviour.

Mr. Davey has previously warned that cuts to local police would result in these types of crimes increasing. He has argued in Parliament against Labour's cuts to the Metropolitan police budget and believes that the Government are to blame for the reduction in Home Beat officers in Kingston that have aggravated the problem.

Commenting on his meetings to discuss the graffiti epidemic, Edward said:

"I've had complaints about graffiti from all parts of the Borough. Indeed, wherever I go in Kingston at the moment there seems to be some new scrawl on a signpost or a wall. It looks dreadful, makes areas seem dangerous and can be very expensive to remove. We've got to crack down on it.

"I'm pleased to say that Kingston Police do now have a number of officers specifically detailed to catch these vandals. They are working closely with the Council and the British Transport Police, who are the acknowledged experts on beating graffiti vandals. Chief Superintendent, Alan Given, assured me this is now a priority.

"I hope all local people will help the police in their campaign to rid the Borough of this disgusting practice. Any information residents can provide will be used to catch these criminals. Through that sort of partnership approach we can at least try to make up for the cutbacks to the local police we've endured now under successive governments.

"While we must continue to fight for more police officers, we can't just let the villains get away with it. The Safer Stations Initiative I set up with the local police is another partnership designed to reduce the fear of crime at our ten local train stations. That's helped to focus attention on a previously neglected issue. I hope that by making the arrest of these graffiti vandals a priority, the police will now make a difference."

Edward is due to meet with a number of local bodies over the forthcoming weeks and the information and suggestions for tackling graffiti will be presented to the partners.

ENDS

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