Caroline Pidgeon AM Reporting Back Autumn Term @CarolinePidgeon @CarolinePidgeonAM September—December 2020

caroline.pidgeon@.gov.uk Published by Liberal Democrats, 8-10 Great George Street SW1P 3AE

1 TFL & CROSSRAIL FINANCES

Ever since Boris Johnson negotiated away TfL’s operating grant from the Department for Transport in 2015 TfL has relied much more heavily on passenger income, which has had THE CLADDING SCANDAL devastating consequences since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. In recent months I have had a Luisa Porritt, to agree some Since the start of Covid-19 we’ve significant amount of further actions we could take to seen petty politics played over correspondence from leaseholders support the leaseholders and TfL‘s finances. The private railway and residents facing a variety of residents affected in London. companies were given an 18- different issues relating to the Since then we have made significant month financial settlement by cladding and fire safety scandal that progress on those actions including: Government, whereas TfL has only is sweeping the capital and the whole received short-term financial country. 1. Setting up a petition calling on the support with harsh conditions Government and to attached. ensure buildings are made safe as soon as possible and that costs are TfL’s financial problems are not passed over to leaseholders or exacerbated further by the residents. escalating construction costs of Crossrail, which have pushed TfL’s 2. Beginning to submit motions to long-term borrowing to new heights. councils across the capital asking The scale of this scandal and the what they are doing to identify at-risk Londoners have paid a real price for ramifications, both on the mental buildings and how they are working the petty party politics over TfL health and finances of with residents, leaseholders and funding. I will continue to scrutinise leaseholders and tenants, is very others to support them; TfL robustly, but will also continue worrying. my calls for Government to treat the 3. I have continued to question the capital’s public transport network Back in September I wrote to the Mayor on this matter and to push fairly. Minister for Housing and Fire Safety him on how he can use his powers to on the matter. I eventually received a improve fire and building safety and disappointing response, but have tackle developers and freeholders continued to actively support the who are not taking any responsibility LGBT+ ANTI- demands of the End Our Cladding for the safety of their buildings. BULLYING PROJECT Scandal campaign. 4. Cllr Luisa Porritt, Cllr Hina Bokhari In November I joined with Lib Dem In November I chaired a meeting and I are also arranging to meet with Councillors from across London in of London Liberal Democrat some industry organisations writing to the Minister for Women Councillors and activists, along including the Council of Mortgage and Equalities to express our deep with our Mayoral candidate Cllr Lenders and the Social Housing concern that funding for many anti- Regulator to express our concerns. LGBT+ bullying projects was to be This scandal is not going away, and scrapped. ultimately, without urgent and Thousands of children across comprehensive action from London will have benefitted from Government this will not be these projects and with LGBT+ resolved. hate crime in London on the rise it I am pleased the Liberal Democrats is nonsensical to remove this nationally are also working hard on funding. this, and in London I will continue to LGBT+ discrimination hasn’t do all I can to end this scandal for the stopped, so why should funding for Campaigning against the proposed thousands affected. such critical projects? I’ll continue to suspension of free travel for Under-18s, join with Liberal Democrats across which is thankfully no longer going London in pushing the Government ahead—September 2020 #EndOurCladdingScandal to reconsider. and the Tories did not allow a vote MAKING THE CASE on the motion. Despite what they FOR UNIVERSAL say, now is the perfect time for a trial, given the impacts of COVID-19 BASIC INCOME on many struggling Londoners. As a party the Liberal Democrats In early November I worked with truly believe in UBI, and it has my Green Party colleague Sian great potential for London, Berry to submit a motion on where even before the pandemic trialling Universal Basic Income in around a third of people lived in London. poverty. I will continue to push It was disappointing that Labour the Mayor on this. ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL

Rather shockingly the FOI request In September and October I was revealed that 35% of the length of contacted by several constituents platforms at UK train stations still did expressing concern about the fact not have tactile paving. In early that since the beginning of December I appeared once again on lockdown in March TfL had Radio 4’s In Touch programme to stopped offering guided or express serious concern about the physical assistance on the London absence of tactile paving at many Underground and Overground, stations, including large stations and despite train operators across the transport hubs such as Charing UK putting in Covid-secure guided Cross. and physical assistance swiftly. This is an issue I plan to continue Speaking against further cuts to police I raised this issues with the TfL campaigning on into the New Year. funding in London—September 2020 Commissioner in October and was assured it would be restored as soon as possible and that he was LONDON’S sector, and that is why I am proud equally shocked that TfL had not Liberal Democrats did not vote for acted more quickly to ensure HOSPITALITY SECTOR the new tier system that has been provision of guided and physical introduced. assistance. Covid-19 has presented huge London has a huge number of pubs Yet, by mid-November guided and challenges for all sectors, but it has had a particularly and bars, as well as restaurants, and I physical assistance were still not in will continue to push for urgent place on TfL services. I went on devastating impact on the hospitality sector, something I financial support for our pubs, Radio 4’s In Touch programme to including removing the requirement discuss this in mid-November and I have raised consistently in the last few months in questions to for alcohol sales to be accompanied questioned the Mayor on this at by a substantial meal. Our hospitality Mayor’s Question Time. the Mayor and the Deputy Mayor for Business sector employs thousands and Despite TfL finally re-instating contributes hugely to our economy guided and physical assistance on I am pleased that the Government and I will keep fighting for it. 23 November, when I questioned extended the furlough scheme to the Mayor about the 8 month- March 2021 and finally scrapped the period without these services in ludicrous 10pm curfew on place he refused to apologise and hospitality businesses. Two things I instead opted for cheap political and all Liberal Democrats had insults. consistently called for in order to safeguard jobs and protect In April I also put in a Freedom of livelihoods. Information request to ascertain the number of train station platforms Yet the Government’s new tier with tactile paving following the system as we come out of the tragic death of a man at Eden Park second lockdown yet again fails to Station last year after he fell from provide clarity or fairness, the platform. particularly for the hospitality