At today’s (Wednesday) Mayor’s Question Time at City Hall, Boris Johnson came under pressure over his plans to cut 12 fire stations, 18 fire engines and 520 firefighters. In Tower Hamlets this includes the closure of Bow fire station and the loss of one fire appliance from Whitechapel. Local Labour London Assembly Member John Biggs supported calls today for Boris to listen to Londoners and abandon his planned cuts and closures.
The session at City Hall had to be adjourned after people in the packed public gallery demonstrated against the Mayor’s plans and staged a walk-out in protest.
Local Labour London Assembly Member, John Biggs AM, said:
“Today, Boris Johnson showed total contempt for the residents of Tower Hamlets and our city. Public meetings have shown that Londoners are fearful for the safety of the areas they live and work in; they are understandably worried about injuries and fatalities from fire. The message I conveyed to the Mayor today from Londoners is loud and clear - they don't trust him and they are against his reckless closure plans. Rather than taking on board the wishes of Londoners the Mayor has ducked and dived and let them down by evading calls to scrap these plans.
“Today I backed calls for the Mayor to re-consider his reckless plans, to listen to Londoners and protect our frontline fire services. We all know that savings have to be made, the London Fire Brigade has already saved £66million from the back office. Boris is cutting too far and all to fund his penny a day council tax cut, at the end of the year what would you rather have, £3.70 or a fully funded fire service that can respond to incidents more quickly?
“At public meetings across London and in Tower Hamlets local people have spoken up against these plans, when the final consultation results come before the London Fire Authority in July they will listen to Londoners. It is then up to the Mayor to decide whether he will force these cuts through in the face of opposition from Londoners and his own fire authority.”
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