Hughes speaks at Bromley Churches meeting - Norris and Livingstone stay away

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 7th Apr 2004

Simon Hughes spoke at the meeting organised by Orpington Churches together at Bromley Civic Centre on Monday evening

His main opponents in the race to be London Mayor failed to turn up. Mayor Livingstone was on extended paternity leave, but most surprising was a sudden no-show by Tory candidate Steve Norris, especially as the meeting date was set to suit him.

Lib Dem London Assembly candidate for Bexley & Bromley, Duncan Borrowman said: "Steve Norris was told by the organisers that the BNP would not be speaking, but he used it as an excuse to appoint a deputy to fill in for him, who in turn appointed a deputy to fill in for him! It goes to highlight what everybody knows, Steve Norris is in third place and slipping backward, while Simon Hughes is the challenger to become mayor."

Labour sent their General Election candidate from Epsom & Ewell, who is a Sutton councillor and hopes fight off coming a poor third in Bexley & Bromley on 10th June.