Ask Ken - brief TV glimpse

Just got back from watching Ask Ken round my friends' house. You could hardly see me on it at all in the studio audience, although Mecca in her black and white Mind the Gap T Shirt was seen quite a few times.

It was quite weird watching it as it all seemed much more controlled that it was in reality. It was like a bun fight in reality with loads of people's arms shooting up in the air. More arguments, more rambling questions and much more lively. However I did like the opening animated title sequence featuring Mayor Ken Livingstone with his newts, Ken on the tube, Ken marching through crowds of pigeons and other versions of an animated Ken cartoon.

Really pleased they left Emma Jordan's question in about her experiences in the Chancery Lane accident, and I'll be writing the interview this weekend so hopefully we'll have something on the site next week. (See the 28th October entry below for a full report on the recording)

The Guardian spent most time focussing on safety on the tube too:

"Ken Livingstone was speaking to a studio audience of Londoners who grilled him on issues facing the capital for a programme being broadcast tonight.

"Speaking on the two serious derailments to strike London Underground in the past fortnight - at Camden Town and Hammersmith stations - Mr Livingstone warned that it may take a fatality to force the issue surrounding maintenance companies' performance.

"He criticised the 30-year contracts signed with the "usual suspects" of companies contracted to maintain London Underground, "In exchange for enormous profits they got for this, they should get the system right. They had three years preparing for it and we now find that a whole range of things that should have been done, haven't been done. They have been paid money out of our taxes and they should be doing the job they are being paid to do.".

London Underground; Tube Posted by annie mole Thursday, October 30, 2003 Permalink COMMENT HERE
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