Elsewhere in this newsletter, we carry the story of a threatened legal challenge to the London Cycle Superhighway, as the Council in Westminster and the London Mayor, Sadiq Khan quarrel over the Swiss Cottage part of the Scheme.

It has been a long-running dispute. Campaigners opposed to the cycleway have caused significant delays to the project infuriating cyclists and other supporters who point out that in the relevant consultation the Scheme attracted 60% support.

But two miles down the road we have a similar situation. There has been an equally lengthy dialogue about the future of Oxford Street, with the Scheme for pedestrianisation finally abandoned two weeks ago again by the same Westminster City Council. There again, there had been consultations. In the Spring of 2007, TfL’s consultation attracted 12,000 responses, with 62% apparently in favour of principles underlying the transformation of Oxford Street. Earlier this year, 22,000 people responded to the consultation on pedestrianisation. This time the % in favour was said to be 64%.

So, we have two situations where substantial-sounding majorities in a consultation have been followed by elected members preferring not to proceed because of opposition from local people. The Mayor – clearly frustrated – accuses them of ‘playing politics’ – a phrase which is often heard when a consultation runs into difficulties. As we are about to publish a whole book on the subject, it is tempting just to refer readers to The Politics of Consultation, but these examples deserve specific comments.

• Politicians regularly over-emphasise the importance of the numbers. Quantitative survey results are only as good as the representativeness of the sample of people who happen to have responded – typically under 3%.
• Whilst TfL’s samples were respectable, no-one can guarantee that they reflect the balance of opinion among those affected by the proposals. (Unless, of course a structured sample survey had also been done – we haven’t checked this)
• The Mayor’s department has to be careful not to imply that a high percentage in favour of a particular proposal is conclusive. If he applied the same criterion to less popular policies – such as the well-known closure of police counters, recently challenged in the High Court – he would, by his own choice of language, be equally guilty of ‘playing politics’
• Irrespective of the numbers, what matters is the opportunity for various arguments to be heard. It is not an abuse of any process for elected members to voice objections.

There are, of course many aspects of politics which people find unsavoury, and some are downright dishonest. A clear example is when a politician tells one side of an argument one thing and the other side of the argument quite another! Hypocrisy is hardly new in public affairs. There is also wilful misrepresentation of data or information, or the distortion of your opponents’ words for your own advantage.

The whole point of consultation is to create a safe space for legitimate debate over difficult issues, and accusing one side or another of ‘playing politics’ is usually a poor substitute for real arguments.