Mayoral Candidates to Answer Questions

The main mayoral candidates in London will give hundreds of older people in the City the opportunity for questions. The event will be arranged by Age UK London and the Greater London Forum for Older People (GLF).

Expected to attract an audience of 200 people, the Mayoral Election Question Time event will include Conservative Mayor Boris Johnson, Ken Livingstone from the Labour Party, and Lib Dem Brian Paddick. It will be held at Friends House in Euston, north London.

The event is an attempt By Age UK London and GLF to bring older people not only closer to political attention, but also to make them a mayoral priority. One of the major reasons for this is the tendency of London to portray itself as a “young city.”

Older people and those who represent them feel that this is a misrepresentation of the City’s population, of which more than a quarter are 50 or older.

Samangha Mauger, chief of Age UK London, said of this age group: "They bring a wealth of experience, skills, insight and talent to the table and make a vital, large and quantifiable contribution to London's economy and society.”

According to a BBC News article, Age UK London and GLF will also launch their Older People’s Manifesto at the Question Time event.

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