Sharon Grant has been announced as the new Chair of London TravelWatch, the transport users watchdog for London.
Former Chair Brian Cooke, whose four year term was set to expire on September 30th, was removed from post in June by the London Assembly after it concluded his endorsement of Boris Johnson’s election campaign was a breach of his terms and conditions on employment.
Ms Grant has been Chair of the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health for the last six years, and sits on the Food Standards Agency Advisory Committee on Consumer Engagement and has extensive previous experience in local government.
Commenting on her new role, Grant said she was “delighted to be joining London TravelWatch at such an important time for the capital.”
Ms Grant said commented “with the Thameslink project, Crossrail, the upgrades on the Tube and preparations for the Olympics all affecting Londoners over the next few years, a strong voice for transport users in London will continue to be of great importance.”
Slow down says
Given they sacked the previous chair because he made a political statement you would have thought appointing Bernie Grant’s widow would have ben deemed foolish.
Peter Hulme Cross says
Is it foolish, or a bit of political one-up-manship from the very Labour Chair of the London Assembly Transport Committee who is determined that the Tories won’t have it all their own way??
The Chair of London Travelwatch is supposed to be impartial and apolitical. The last incumbent was dismissed because he spoke up in favour of Boris, albeit in a private capacity, in the run up to the Mayoral election.
I applied for this job when it was advertised but was turned down on the grounds that I had too recently (until last May) been a Member of the London Assembly and was therefore considered to be ‘too political’.
This lady stood for selection as the Labour Party candidate for Tottenham although David Lamy was selected instead.
Are we now being asked to believe that this is not a nakedly political appointment??