On Thursday evening the property industry will be treated to the spectacle of four political heavyweights going head-to-head at City Hall for the LandAid Debate.
Our high profile panel will duke it out over the big issues shaping the General Election campaign, including the growth and the economy, homelessness and the housing crisis, youth unemployment, education and skills, and finding a new political settlement for the UK.
The panel will also examine the challenges facing the new Government, and particularly the next Mayor of London.
In the blue corner, Former London Mayoral Candidate Steven Norris says: ‘The next London Mayor will have to meet the challenge of a rapidly changing city, bigger than ever before and growing fast. London is hugely successful but it is in danger of being a fortress. Those in it dare not leave and those who want to come here can’t afford to do so. Neither can the next generation. We have to bring much more land onto the market and encourage more investment not only in homes but in our built environment. It’s a huge challenge for the next Mayor – and the next government in Whitehall.’
In the red corner, former shadow Chancellor, the Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP, says: “Labour’s plan is not simply about creating a fairer society; it is about creating a more prosperous one too. I look forward to outlining Labour’s positive vision that puts working people first by delivering higher living standards for all, not just the privileged few at the top.”
In the green corner, former leader of the Green Party, Baroness Jenny Jones, says: “The biggest challenge for London is the way our built environment has been turned into a commodity market, with speculation driving up house prices and land values. At the same time, the British economy is becoming ever more concentrated in London, and austerity has slashed investment in social housing. These trends are pricing people and industry out of the city, and making it harder to provide the sorts of homes and workspaces people need. We need to, and can, bring about a radical shift in policy to reverse these trends.”
In the yellow corner, Baroness Shirley Williams, says: ‘As we approach what looks like being a close general election, has there ever been a more propitious moment to be discussing these important issues? I am looking forward to contributing ideas to the debate with my fellow panellists.’
It’s going to be one humdinger of a debate. Tickets are still available and can be booked online now.