Liberal Democrat Assembly Member Caroline Pidgeon has persuaded Boris Johnson to support the campaign to ensure that the massive costs of the inquest into the death of Jean Charles de Menezes are shared more fairly. At present the bill of over £4 million is falling on the council taxpayers of the London Boroughs of Greenwich, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark.
Questioned by Caroline Pidgeon the Mayor accepted that the costs of the inquest were exceptional and that it was unfair that the costs of the inquest are being paid by just four London Boroughs.
Commenting on the Mayor’s reply, Caroline said:
"It is widely recognised that the death of Jean Charles de Menezes was an event not merely of national, but international significance. The location of his death was quite frankly an incidental detail to the key fact that an unarmed individual had been shot dead by Metropolitan Police counter-terrorism officers in a case of mistaken identity.
"It is plainly unfair that the council taxpayers of just four South London boroughs are having to pay such a massive bill when the circumstances of this inquest were truly exceptional.
"The cost of the inquest must be shared much more fairly and it is time that the Ministry of Justice recognised that fact.
"Already Simon Hughes MP, Southwark Council and the Executive Mayor of Lewisham have called on the Ministry of Justice to address this issue. It is good news that Boris Johnson is now also on side."