After avoiding the London Assembly for two months, Sadiq Khan finally faced questions about his handling of the coronavirus outbreak.
In case you missed this week's Mayor's Question Time, here are the important points.
1) Khan claimed to be the most accountable Mayor ever 🤦♀️
With no sense of irony, the Mayor claimed to be happy to answer the London Assembly's questions whenever we wished, despite refusing the invitation to do so for weeks.
Khan made the absurd claim when Susan Hall AM challenged him to appear before the Assembly's Budget Committee to discuss in detail the financial implications coronavirus will have on City Hall's budget. So far during this crisis, the Mayor has found more time to answer celebrity questions than Londoners' questions in front of the Assembly.
2) Shaun Bailey slammed the Mayor for failing to protect TfL staff 🚇
London's transport workers have been playing a vital role in our city's fight against coronavirus. It's thanks to them that our city has kept moving and key workers have been able to travel across London.
However, trade unions and even Labour politicians have expressed concerns about the Mayor's slow measures to protect Transport for London staff. Shaun Bailey AM challenged the Mayor on it taking seven weeks for him to provide TfL workers with face masks.
3) Sadiq Khan refused to reintroduce City Hall's family-homes target 🏚
After a Labour MP highlighted plight of overcrowding in London during the coronavirus outbreak, Andrew Boff AM challenged the Mayor once again to end his obsession with one-bedroom homes and restore Boris Johnson's family-homes target. The Mayor scrapped the target despite 360,000 children living in overcrowded homes in London, which not only impacts their life chances with overcrowded homes linked to poorer health and educational outcomes, but puts them at greater risk during this crisis.
Instead of accepting responsibility for scrapping the target, the Mayor denied there ever was a target and blamed the government.
4) Sadiq Khan caught lying about the Congestion Charge 💷
Tony Devenish AM caught the Mayor misleading the London Assembly after Khan blamed the government for the congestion charge increase, despite admitting it was his decision on Good Morning Britain.
Sadiq Khan insisted to the Assembly that it was forced upon him by the government, but that morning he told GMB viewers "sure it's TfL, it's us" who made the decision. Watch the incredible exchange yourself:
5) Keith Prince scrutinised the Mayor's transport policies 🛣
Keith Prince questioned the Mayor extensively about his transport policies in response to the coronavirus crisis, raising concerns both motorcyclists and cabbies' concerns. He called on the Mayor to exempt motorcycles from the Ultra Low Emission Zone charge - given their relatively low emissions and important role in London's economy. Keith also raised taxi drivers' concerns about the Mayor's plan to shut vital roads.
6) Andrew Boff questions Khan on PHV driver safety measures 🦠
Andrew Boff questioned the Mayor on Transport for London's regulation of driver safety partitions screens in private hire vehicles to stop the spread of coronavirus. Private hire drivers fear that TfL may hammer them for doing the right thing and installing screens to protect themselves and customers. Watch the Mayor's response here:
Comments