On Wednesday 18th June Caroline was the guest speaker at Beckenham Liberal Democrats to talk about the GLA, Boris and transport issues.
A lovely crowd of members turned up from Beckenham, as well as from Croydon and Fulham, to hear about life at City Hall and the latest things Boris had been saying!
Members raised a number of key issues including the latest situation on the Crystal Palace Tram Extension.
Caroline Pidgeon, Liberal Democrat Transport spokesperson on the London Assembly, joined local MPs Susan Kramer and Vince Cable, Liberal Democrat council leaders from across London, and thousands of other campaigners at a protest rally in West London against the planned expansion at Heathrow airport.
After the rally Caroline said: “Hopefully now the government will understand that Londoners don’t want a third runway at Heathrow nor any increase in terminals. People came from around London to protest because this issue is not one that affects just west London. Wherever you live or work in the capital you cannot have failed to notice the increase in aircraft movements and noise; enough is enough and any expansion must be halted.”
Boris Johnson has agreed to seek an urgent meeting with the Department for Transport over funding for Phase 2 of the East London Line extension, following questioning from Lib Dem Caroline Pidgeon at Mayor’s Question Time this week.
The Mayor also stated his priorities to securing proper funding from Government for Crossrail and Tube upgrades.
Transport Spokesperson for the London Assembly Liberal Democrats, Caroline Pidgeon commented:
The future of the Cross River Tram is under threat, as revealed by questioning from London Assembly member Caroline Pidgeon.
Boris Johnson stated that he will be reviewing the transport, economic and environmental implications of the Cross River Tram because there is no Government funding in place for the scheme.
Caroline Pidgeon, Transport Spokesperson for the London Assembly Liberal Democrats, said:
Mayor Boris Johnson admitted that his plans for a new Routemaster bus are only an aspiration rather than a firm commitment, during questioning by Lib Dem Caroline Pidgeon at Mayor’s Question Time yesterday.
The Mayor also commented that he would not pursue the Routemaster at an unlimited cost, despite it being one of his key campaign pledges.
Transport Spokesperson for the London Assembly Liberal Democrats, Caroline Pidgeon commented:
London Assembly Liberal Democrats urged the Mayor to take action on the closure of 155 London Post Offices today.
There has been no word about how the Mayor will respond to today’s closures, despite focusing much of his campaign on protecting London’s Post Offices.
Commenting, Caroline Pidgeon, Liberal Democrat Assembly Member said:
“One of the Mayor’s strongest manifesto pledges was to stop the Government from axing local Post Offices. The Mayor needs to step-up and show that he is serious about protecting local Post Office branches.
Cllr Caroline Pidgeon, Lib Dem GLA candidate for Lambeth & Southwark, today joined mayoral candidate Brian Paddick, Camden & Barnet GLA candidate Nick Russell, Simon Hughes MP, the leaders of Southwark and Camden councils, Cllr Nick Stanton and Cllr Keith Moffit, and Lib Dem supporters on Waterloo Bridge to show their commitment to the early delivery of the Cross River Tram.
All the Liberal Democrat-controlled councils in London have backed the 2 Million Voices campaign, asking the government to review the environmental consequences of plans for a third runway at Heathrow.
Southwark Liberal Democrats joined protestors at City Hall on Sunday as the Olympic torch passed through the borough to register their protest about the Chinese government's occupation of Tibet and their record on human rights.
Commenting, Cllr Nick Stanton, Lib Dem Leader of Southwark Council, said:
"The recent suppression of protests by the Tibetan people has highlighted the brutality of the regime and its poor record on human rights.
Lib Dem GLA candidate for Lambeth and Southwark, Cllr Caroline Pidgeon joined Simon Hughes MP and local councillors and campaigners at Post Office Ltd's HQ to hand in a petition signed by over 3,500 people against the planned closures of local branches in the two boroughs.
Commenting, Caroline said:
"The support from local residents for our local post offices has been overwhelming and shows the central role that these branches play in the lives of people in both Lambeth and Southwark.
