Blog

 by Jenny Jones AM, Green Party

Having spent nine years pushing for road safety to be taken seriously by the Met Police, I find that the previous slow incremental improvements are now being reversed with barely a guilty shrug from the Mayor’s office. First, there is a decline of 20 police officers, 5 PCSOs and 5 staff working on road safety. Secondly, cuts to the London Safety Camera Partnership mean the redeployment of 45 police staff, which means it’s a way of letting off 280,000 speeding drivers and red light jumpers who would previously have been sent fines.

What is particularly worrying is that this cutback on enforcing the rules of the road is happening at the same time as the Mayor is promoting trials of the naked streets idea and the removal of traffic lights. As much as I have argued for the removal of pedestrian guard rails, I differ from Boris regarding his description of traffic lights as ‘street clutter’. Naked streets are a brilliant idea if done in the right way, with lots of consultation with vulnerable road users, but a 20mph speed limit is normal in the European towns where they have been trialed. Above all, the overseas culture of driving is different. Dutch towns don’t have tens of thousands of uninsured drivers on their streets and unlike Newham, they don’t have to cope with a quarter of road casualties involving a hit and run driver. The idea that eye contact is enough to slow drivers down doesn’t take into account the illegal nature of many drivers who will simply drive off in the event of a collision.

Labour respond to reports that Mayor Boris Johnson has written to his disgraced fire authority deputy, Bertha Joseph, for further clarification but STILL refuses to sack her.

Labour's leader at City Hall, Len Duvall, said: "Boris has known about this since October, if not before. You have to wonder why it's taking him so long to decide whether someone who spent money intended for children's charities on ball gowns for herself is not fit for office? I understand Boris's reluctance to lose yet another appointment in sleazy circumstances but it's time he did the right thing and removed this councillor from his administration."

Bertha Joseph was found to have brought her office into disrepute by Brent council on 13 October 2009. She appealed and, as her appeal was on-going, was appointed by City Hall to the position of deputy chair of London's Fire and Emergency Planning Authority - a position for which she receives £19,000 in allowances. Councillor Joseph lost her appeal on 9 February - almost one month ago - and was suspended from the council for six months.
 
The judge who heard her case criticised her "repeated lack of credibility" and said that, because of her actions, "she surely cannot expect again to serve as Mayor". He also said her actions could have deprived charities of funds.
 
Because of legal loophole, Councillor Joseph's suspension from Brent council does not disbar her from the fire authority unless the Mayor decides she is unfit for office. Despite repeated calls, Boris Johnson still refuses to act.

Boris Johnson on Bertha Joseph:

11 February
 
"The legal advice clearly shows there is nothing to prevent Bertha Joseph from serving on the board."
Councillor Joseph was found guilty in October 2009 and lost her appeal on 9 February 2010
Later on 11 February
“I can’t quite establish from what you’re saying what the charges against this councillor are. If there are legal proceedings to be followed and if there is a suspected crime here then I’m sure that the police will be called in.”

24 February
 
"I understand why you want to attack LFEPA, magnificently chaired as it is, I understand why you want to beat up on Tory councillors but I’m not going to be dragged into making any premature declarations today."