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COPYRIGHT 2002 The Spectator Ltd. (UK)
PUT any two Londoners together for more than five minutes and you can almost guarantee two subjects of conversation: the price of their respective homes and the state of London's traffic. Discussion of house prices produces a mixed reaction. It is nice to know that at least something is appreciating in value, when the stock market is bombed out and the bonuses have disappeared. On the other hand, it is a bit scary to know that you could never afford to buy the home in which you live; and with teachers and nurses unable to put a toe on the property ladder, it is no wonder that public services in the capital are in the state they are.
On traffic, however, there are no disagreements. It is universally accepted that over the last year the city has ground to a halt, and that the Mayor is personally responsible. The language may vary, but whether your interlocutor is a cabbie or a captain of industry, they all believe that Livingstone has...
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