Boris Johnson: domestic flights are "a sin"

To the first London mayoral debate of many, hosted by the Green Alliance on the environment.

A personal verdict: Ken Livingstone was in command on the detail but sounded weary, Boris Johnson got laughs but skated lightly over topics, Brian Paddick had some of the best anti-Ken attack lines. I thought Ken won on points and there was a strong performance from Brian, but my neighbour - from a green campaign - handed a notional victory at half time to Boris. Sian Berry, the highly credible green candidate, demonstrated how the Green Party has been edging Ken into ever more environmentally-friendly positions.

In summary:

Most surprising quote: "Everybody who cares about the environment knows that the mayor has done some good things and some wise things" - Boris

Most disputable quote: (You can force 4X4s off the road) "only when you have a good alternative - which is what public transport is in this city and you've also got the draconian measures to force people to make that change" - Ken

Slam dunk moment: Boris Johnson's pre-prepared salvo on the "Mayor's garden grab" in which he called for Ken to stop building over people's gardens. Ken replied it was a planning matter for the boroughs and he would do all he could to oppose building on back gardens in the next London plan. If there was a comeback to Ken's point, Boris didn't deploy it. Appeared like a tactical loss.

Least green moment: "The mayor's latest initiative on gas guzzlers. I think anyone who has studied it will know it is politically very interesting but environmentally marginal" - Boris

Most forceful class war moment: "There is no excuse for driving a 4x4 or a gas guzzling in this city and if they chose to do that they must be prepared to pay the £6,000 a year in order to compensate for the damage they are doing to the environment" - Ken

Cheapest anti-politician point:" I'm not going to make a very good politician because I can't say anything I don't believe in". - Brian

Best personal green credentials: "I don't own a car. I walk most places. It's 10 minutes to where I work and about 20 minutes walk to central London... I have had the heating on for 45 minutes this winter because my flat is so well insulated" - Brian Paddick

Least deliverable pledge : It's really possible to get as many people living as close as possible to where they work - Brian

Unashamed dog whistle politics: "Awful lot of spin doctors employed by the White House to undermine the consensus on climate change - and they have had some success" - Ken Livingstone

Best attack line: Ken's low emission zone will put Portobello Road fruit and vegetable market out of business. "(The traders) don't have the £3,000 to £5,000 to change their vehicles. Ken is driving small businesses out of business and that will result in less markets available for local people" - Brian

Biggest laugh: Boris promises to scrap The Londoner, which he said promotes Pyongyang "pap" and use the money to plant £500-a-go trees.

Most ingenious argument (about why the Congestion Charge is not good enough for the environment): "If climate change is an absolutely priority, why do you encourage people off public transport into private car by exempting band a and b cars from the congestion zone. You are playing politics with the planet" - Brian

Most aggressive moment: "We have had decades of complete lies by the British Airports Authorities. We are in a desperate race with Charles de Gaul and Schipol. We are so far ahead in the size of our airport there is no serious threat of being overtaken" - Ken

Biggest policy disagreement: Boris is proposing a new airport in the Thames Estuary. Ken said: "We are coming up to turn Romney Marsh it in the biggest bird sanctuary in Western Europe." Boris's comeback: "I hear what you say about the dangers to birds, Ken, I don't think that is a debate we can possible ignore. Think what the Hong Kong Chinese had to do". Sian Berry, the Green candidate called the idea: "a crazy Bond fantasy"

Comment with the most potential ramifications: "Domestic flights in this country are a crime, they are a sin. You will not find, under a Johnson mayoralty, 381 officials taking flights within this country. That's absolutely criminal" - Boris

Most interesting idea: Ban adverts for big cars and cheap flights on the tube and bus. "That's when we're at our most vulnerable" - Sian Berry, the green candidate

The joke you'll be hearing over and over: Boris to Ken: "You should even at this stage show initiative and learn to ride a bike, and I am willing to give you free lessons in completely safety. I think it would be high time like you experience the full horror of trying to overtake a bendy bus."

Best facts to emerge from the debate:

We have lost gardens 22 times the size of Hyde Park - Boris

The carbon emissions of London match those of Switzerland - Boris

Air quality is so bad in this city it takes 8 months off the lives of the average Londoner - Ken

A band 'b' car driving from Brighton to central London emits four times the pollution a Chelsea tractor does from Chelsea to Charing Cross - Brian

New pledges:

New £10 congestion charge for greater London zone - Brian

Education programme to give advice on most environmentally friendly products - Ken

Plant more street trees with the money for the Londoner - Boris Johnson

Ban 4X4 adverts on the tube - Sian Berry