Labour puts glossy mags before old people

by Terry Stacy on 11 April, 2011

Islington Labour councillors have voted to put glossy council magazines and propaganda before saving a vital bus service for Islington’s old people.

At the last meeting of the council, Clerkenwell Labour councillors refused to back a Liberal Democrat move to save the PlusBus service from being axed.  The bus currently serves Claremont Square, Cruikshank Street, Holford Street, Percy Circus and Amwell Street before heading to Finsbury.  The council ended funding for the bus in its budget agreed in February.

Despite a last-minute intervention by the Mayor of London offering to meet most of the PlusBus running costs for the next two years, Labour councillors still voted against a proposal to axe the council’s glossy resident magazine and use the funding to make up the difference and save the service.

A petition signed by 300 pensioners at the Peel community centre in Clerkenwell, presented by local Liberal Democrat councillor George Allan, was also ignored.  The pensioners all use the PlusBus to get to the Peel Centre.

Clerkenwell Liberal Democrat councillor George Allan said:
“The PlusBus is too important for Clerkenwell Labour councillors to use as a political football against the Mayor of London when it is the council that is axing this service.

“We should be pleased the Mayor has stepped in and we should now step up to find the missing £40,000 funding to save the PlusBus.  Liberal Democrats suggested axing the council’s resident magazine to allow this to happen but Labour councillors voted against.

“Obviously glossy council propaganda is more important to local Labour councillors than the PlusBus for Islington old people.  This pathetic grandstanding means that 35,000 PlusBus passengers will be driven off the road.  What a way to treat Islington’s elderly.”

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