News from London Assembly Labour

‘Scrooge Boris’ shortens firework display, axes free rail travel home

Boris Johnson will start the new year by playing the role of Scrooge – axing free rail travel home for new year revellers and shortening the midnight fireworks display by a quarter.

For the first time since 2003 rail passengers will pay to travel home during the new year festivities, even though tube and bus users will go free – unfairly hitting Londoners in parts of the capital not served by the tube system.

And the Evening Standard (17/12/09) reported that “This year, Mr Johnson has also decided to make savings on the New Year fireworks display. The display has been reduced from 10 minutes to seven and a half minutes.”

London Labour MP Karen Buck said: “Thousands of people will come into central London to find that Boris Johnson has cuts the fireworks display by a quarter, whilst many who don’t live near tube services will be short-changed by having to pay whilst tube users get home for free.

“If Boris Johnson wanted to spend less he should have protected the biggest night out of the year, either by paying out less in millions in bonuses for his senior transport executives or by working harder to win sponsorship for these events. Either way this is a false economy that does London no good.

“New Years Eve should be the biggest party night of the year and a showcase for the greatest city on Earth, not an occasion for gloom and cuts.”

Other news from London Assembly Labour

• Mayor still refuses to act against banned councillor - 5 March 2010
• Banned councillor: London Labour leader calls on Mayor to act - 25 February 2010
• Boris's broken promise "a huge blow to the Tories' plans for elected police commissioners" - 23 February 2010