Political editor WALTER CRONXITE smells a bit of media manipulation over the handling of news about the capital’s travel concessions
Pass: London Labour have pledged to maintain the Freedom Pass. The 60+ Oyster, however…
London’s Labour-run borough councils, with the “full support” of London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan, will block any changes to the Freedom Pass scheme that would restrict its eligibility or reduce the range of transport services it can be used on by the capital’s older residents.
“That pretty much kills it,” according to BBC London’s transport expert, Tom Edwards.
The announcement was made late on Wednesday by the Labour Party, as an online petition reached 60,000 signatures in a backlash against even the suggestion of cutting the benefit currently enjoyed by more than 1million Londoners.
Inside Croydon reported earlier this week how the charity Age UK was mustering its case against any possible reduction in the free transport provision after London Councils, the organisation that represents the capital’s 32 boroughs and the City of London, said that it was looking at conducting a “review” of the Freedom Pass after its annual cost rose to £372million.
With local elections across the capital little more than three months away, the whole scare story, from a New Year leak to the Standard, and this week’s concerted push back by London Councils and Mayor Khan, has the appearance of a political stunt, to portray Labour in as favourable a light as possible before election day across the capital on May 7.
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London Councils is, after all, a Labour-dominated organisation. Croydon Mayor Jason Perry is one of only six Conservative council chiefs to attend its meetings. London Councils is chaired by Claire Holland, a successor to Steve Reed as the leader of Lambeth and recently handed a gong for her political service.
So if Labour in London wanted to, they might have killed even the suggestion of a “review” of the Freedom Pass before it made it into one of their formal reports. Instead, we have had a leak, a public push back and now a firm rebuttal, ostensibly to get London’s pensioners reassured. It smells of cultivated media management, a political ploy.
What is also noticeable about the announcement from Holland and London Labour is that while assurances are given for the 66+ Freedom Pass (funded by London Councils from the boroughs’ parking permit and road fines revenues), it contained no such guarantee about the 60+ Oyster Card, which is paid for by Transport for London and the Mayor of London.
“The previous Conservative government slashed funding for the Freedom Pass scheme, leaving councils to foot the bill,” Holland said.
“It’s clear that we need to ensure the Freedom Pass is funded sustainably, but this cannot be done at the expense of older Londoners.
“We know the Freedom Pass is a vital lifeline for our older residents and we must defend it. Labour councils will oppose any changes that would see restrictions placed on who can use it and which modes of transport it applies to.”
And the Mayor of London said: “While I have no control over the 66+ pass, Labour councils have my full support in committing to keep it.
‘Full support’: London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan
“As Mayor, I am ensuring hundreds of thousands of older Londoners are also able to enjoy free travel by continuing to provide the 60+ Oyster card alongside other concessions for Londoners.”
And Sir Sadiq then said this: “The previous Tory government wanted to get rid of the 60+ Oyster card.” So far, so factual. “It’s clear that only Labour can be trusted to protect concessionary travel for Londoners.” Which is not the same as saying that Transport for London will continue to fund the 60+ Oyster with concessionary travel as at present.
Oh, and London Councils’ “review” of the Freedom Pass?
That’s still to be conducted. To be fair, when spending £372million of public money in a year, keeping an eye on how that’s being done makes good governance sense.
Even the London Labour announcement confirmed that London Councils are looking at “how best to manage the financial impact of the scheme”, they said, “although no changes are currently proposed”.
At least not until after May’s Town Hall elections, that is…
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News, views and analysis about the people of Croydon, their lives and political times in the diverse and most-populated borough in London.
Based in Croydon and edited by Steven Downes. To contact us, please email inside.croydon@btinternet.com