CALL FOR GLA CHAIRMAN TO STAND DOWN & MAYOR FINALLY CONDEMNS UAF VIOLENCE
Posted on 22. Dec, 2009 by Richard Barnbrook in Latest News
Last Wednesday 16 December was an eventful Mayor’s Question Time. I started out asking for Darren Johnson the Green Party Assembly member and Chairman of the Greater London Authority to stand down. This was in light of his taking an unlicensed cab after the GLA Christmas party despite the Mayor’s commendable initiative to get people, women especially, using Licensed Black Cabs. Women have been raped on a number of occasions after getting into unlicensed cabs. Many of London’s Drivers of Licensed Black Cabs called for Mr Johnson to stand down and I was echoing their sentiments. The Mayor on the other hand thought Mr Johnson’s apology was sufficient and that his actions assisted in highlighting City Hall’s cabwise initiative. Of course I wasn’t afforded such generosity when being hauled over the coals on my genuine mistake over knife crime.
Our Oral Question was:
DISORDER AT TELEVISION CENTRE:
THE ANSWER TO MAYOR’S QUESTION 3342 / 2009 WAS WHOLLY UNSATISFACTORY, YOU SAY YOU BELIEVE IN FREE SPEECH BUT THIS WAS VIOLENT DISORDER. YOU FAILED TO CONDEMN SUCH VIOLENCE COMMENTING THAT IT WAS “COUNTER PRODUCTIVE TO THE UNPLEASANT VIEWS OF NICK GRIIFIN”. WILL YOU HERE AND NOW AS MAYOR OF LONDON AND CHAIRMAN OF THE METROPOLITAN POLICE AUTHORITY CONDEMN IN THE STRONGEST TERMS POSSIBLE THE VIOLENCE AND DISORDER OUTSIDE TELEVISION CENTRE PERPETRATED BY UNITED AGAINST FASCISM IN WHICH 3 METROPOLITAN POLICE OFFICERS WERE INJURED?
After a little exchange of words the Mayor finally condemned the violence perpetrated by Unite Against Fascism outside Television Centre against BNP Chairman Nick Griffin.
May I take this opportunity of wishing everyone a Happy Christmas, Prosperous New Year and to all activists my heartfelt thanks for your help in 2009, I trust 2010 will be another leap forward.
