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Crossrail delay – Chairman says Mayor knew sooner

Crossrail tunnel
Created on
03 December 2018

The London Assembly Transport Committee notes there are now conflicting statements between the Mayor of London and Sir Terry Morgan, the Chairman of Crossrail, regarding who knew what and when about the launch delay of Crossrail.

The Mayor is adamant that he first knew that Crossrail will be delayed on 29th August however, on BBC Radio 4 this weekend, Sir Terry Morgan said he first informed the Mayor that there would need to be a delay on 26th July.

If this is the case, the Assembly was deliberately misled.

In her last letter to the Mayor almost two weeks ago, the Chair of the Transport Committee, Caroline Pidgeon MBE AM, called for these briefing papers to be published by the 21st November. The Committee received no documents and the deadline was missed.

Chair of the Transport Committee, Caroline Pidgeon MBE AM,said:

“This ongoing situation is rapidly causing a loss in trust in the Mayor.

“If the Assembly was misled – that is a very serious breach of trust.

“It is quite incredible that we are yet to receive the Crossrail briefing papers. The longer the delay in delivering them the stronger the feeling of a cover up.

“The Mayor, as chairman of TfL, and Crossrail both promised more transparency going forward. Yet we have seen anything but transparency.

“For the sake of public trust, the Mayor must live up to his promise of transparency and show there is no Machiavellian behaviour going on behind closed doors.”

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Transport chair letter responding to Mayors letter 14.11.18

Notes to editors

  1. The Transport Committee’s last letter to the Mayor is attached.
  2. Caroline Pidgeon MBE AM, Chair of the Transport Committee, is available for interview – see contact details below.
  3. London Assembly Transport Committee.
  4. As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor.

 

For media enquiries, please contact Funmi Olutoye on 020 7084 2713.  For out of hours media enquiries, call 020 7983 4000 and ask for the London Assembly duty press officer. Non-media enquiries should be directed to the Public Liaison Unit on 020 7983 4100.

 

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