After a recent campaign by local Conservative members in Riverside ward, the BBC has relented and will now be showing the Mayor of London's Question Time on its BBC Democracy Live internet service.

The BBC Democracy Live service was launched late last year, with a mandate to show live coverage of the various parliaments and assemblies within the UK and the European Union Parliament over the internet. 

Despite the London Assembly and Mayor being elected by the largest number of electors after Westminster and European elections, the BBC decided to omit City Hall from its coverage. 

However in a change of policy, the BBC has now agreed to show Boris Johnson's question and answer sessions from the 28th January.  While there will be up to two days delay in broadcasting the footage, this is a positive step towards the campaign's aim of getting all London Assembly business broadcast. 

Loanna Morrison, Bermondsey & Old Southwark PPC said, "We welcome this news from the BBC and hope that without too much further persuasion, they will extend their coverage to all sessions from City Hall.   It is simply not fair to treat the democracy of London as less than equal to Edinburgh, Belfast, Cardiff and Brussels."

14th January 2010