While the intent behind the rules is to stop politicians pumping out tax funded PR which might help sway voters, when applied to a strategic scrutiny body such as the Assembly, the actual impact is to impede the public challenging of top decision makers at agencies such as Transport for London and the Met Police.
Sadiq and City Hall Greens clash over estate regeneration funding claims
Mayor Sadiq Khan’s office has dismissed claims that he’s “rushed” to fund “dozens” of housing regeneration schemes before new rules requiring a mandatory ballot of residents come into effect.
Nothing’s ever perfect, but City Hall remains a good example of public accountability which other bodies could learn from
Having previously called for Val and Sadiq to clean out the over-represented “mayoral mates and silent vested interests” which used to sit on the TfL board, it’s good to see their efforts to do just that are paying off.
TfL told to fix Dial-A-Ride before getting “carried away” with fashionable app-based bus services
The service will involve TfL and private operators running an “on-demand minibus ordered through an app, or perhaps a service running on a semi-fixed route that can be diverted to pick up individual passengers.”
Sadiq pledges not to fund any more estate regeneration schemes until new mandatory ballot rules come into effect
Announced last month and currently subject to consultation, the rules will ensure that all future schemes which receive City Hall funding are backed by those whose lives will be disrupted by the work
