I went to the polling station this morning and was surrounded outside by people encouraging me to vote for Mayor Biggs, the man who is said to have encouraged the chairman of the planning committee to approve turning the Whitechapel Bell Foundry into a luxury hotel. It was approved by one vote – that of the chairman. Is this democracy, I ask myself ? No, it was fixing the outcome of a democratic process by exercising undue influence. I didn’t like the way I was being encouraged to vote for him and I hope he isn’t elected.