Labour lets Boris keep Islington´s millions

6.23.42pm GMT Tue 16th Dec 2008

Councillor Greg Foxsmith

Plans to take back control of key roads in Islington from the Mayor of London´s clutches have been sabotaged by local Labour politicians.

At a meeting of the Council in October, a Liberal Democrat motion to transfer responsibility for maintaining Transport for London´s priority route network back to the Council was passed. The aim of the motion was to ensure a universal standard of lighting, paving, safety and spending across the borough´s roads.

But local Labour politician Jennette Arnold, Islington´s representative on the Greater London Assembly, has revealed she is against the plans to hand the cash that the Mayor currently spends on Islington roads back to the local council.

Liberal Democrat Executive Member for the Environment, councillor Greg Foxsmith, said:

"It is incredible that Labour would rather let Boris keep Islington´s transport money than bring it home to be spent locally. This is an unholy Tory-Labour alliance.

"We all know the problems with effectively having two sets of roads in the borough. And sadly we all know the problems there are with safety on TfL roads in Islington.

"Fighting your way through the Boris bureaucracy jungle to get simple things sorted out on the borough´s main roads is crazy. But Labour wants to keep the status quo.

"Liberal Democrats spent £10million improving the borough´s roads and pavements for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers in the last year alone. This compares with a puny £374,000 by TfL."