Radio interview on Ken raising the congestion charge penalty notice to £50 first notice, then £100 then £150 on the basis that a higher charge will deter people from evading the fine. Load of old b******s if you ask me – Ken is after the revenue. If people don’t pay at £40 – they aren’t going to pay at £50.

165,000 people get penalty notices every month. They are not all trying to dodge the fine – the system is still not customer friendly. I am currently lobbying Ken to allow payment of the original charge up until midnight the following day. He argues that more people will forget if they have an extra day to pay and therefore he will collect more money. I am arguing that even if they do forget the next day and end up paying a fine – at least they will feel they had a fair chance and that it is their fault they forgot. The battle continues…

Quick TV interview with Fox News – a right-wing American TV operation who want to talk to me about my pronouncements on 4 x 4s. Of course, you can’t really compare London’s narrow streets with the wide open plains of the USA – but I have no doubt they will edit to suit.

Transport Committee – the first of the new term of London governance and I have Crossrail coming in to answer our questions. Timing is good, as this week has been the Government’s more detailed announcements on their spending plans – and it is crystal clear that while they have announced they are going to proceed with a hybrid bill for Crossrail – there ain’t no money! Oh why hasn’t this government ever got the guts to make a real decision to allow the dynamic of London to flourish?

Anyway, back to Transport Committee. The two main pieces of evidence arising from the session was that almost certainly fares (probably across all types of transport) will have to rise or council precept go up as there is at least a two billion pound funding gap, even if the government and business stomp up the rest. The second funding gap filler will be the axing of the Richmond spur of Crossrail – saving another billion.

After the meeting I ask the Assembly Press Desk and the senior scrutiny officer what the story for the press was from the meeting. It is sometimes difficult during a long session when you are chairing to pick up the key issues – plus it is good protocol to allow the neutral officers to pick the appropriate angle for the press.  The two issues I raised above were the ones highlighted by the officers and they prepare a press release that I clear later in the day.  The next day the Assembly Press desk telephone me to say that Labour have issued a press release slagging me off and the press release issued by me as the Chair from yesterday’s meeting.  Labour have complained after virtually every meeting that the release is politically biased. What they mean is that any criticism of the government or the mayor may not be allowed. Happily for me, as I do not suggest the content for the press release, it cannot be accused of political bias as it came from the officers. I expect they will be absolutely furious and it may actually be a matter for the Standards Board. We will see.

Dinner for sixteen hosted by Tubelines. Baking hot room on baking hot night – thank God for being a woman and not having to wear a jacket to these things. It’s the only time I feel sorry for men. Thankfully the Chair of Tubelines, shortly after we sat down, asked for gentlemen to agree to remove their jackets. They all did with relief.  Professor David Begg, who is Labour’s Commissioner of Transport and an expert in all matters to do with all forms of transportation is the guest of honour. Myself, John Biggs (Labour) and Mark Field (Tory MP) are the politicians. Then there was Roger Blitz from the Financial Times and Andrew Winstanley from the BBC.  The rest were all high up execs from Tubelines.  After the second course, David B held forth – but as it was Chatham House rules I cannot tell you what was discussed that night.  Following on I lobbed in my first contribution and then a lively debate/discussion ensued. 

Audit Comission Peer Assessment. This is the Audit Commission questioning the three party leaders (I deputise for Graham Tope) as to how we think the London Assembly is doing.  As well as can be expected was the general thrust – given the limits on the Assembly’s powers. Our only real power is to stop the Mayor’s budget.  What we do have is influence and a platform from which we can turn a spotlight on issues of importance to London.  I think the Assembly has done lots of really good scrutiny work – but how much the public is aware of it all is questionnable.  The media tend to be interested in rows, things going wrong or the Mayor – they show little real interest in the substance of our work.

First plenary session of the London Assembly. The final committees are put in place with their new chairs. Meeting closes in record time.