Caroline Pidgeon: “The Mayor is still in denial over the mistakes in cutting the RV1 bus service.  He has failed to properly listen to the hundreds of people who have signed the petition to retain the service. The claims [to cut the service] made by the Mayor simply do not stand up to scrutiny."

Edward Davey, Lib Dem MP for Kingston and Surbiton has said that “We have to learn from this scandalous treatment of the Windrush Generation - and that must mean serious reform at the Home Office.

During yesterday's debate in Parliament, Ed Davey questioned Home Sec on Windrush Generation scandal and secured a confirmation that the newly announced dedicated team will be open to all Commonwealth citizens in similar position, be they originally from India, Australia, Pakistan, Canada or wherever.

The Lib Dem MP said after the debate “I am pleased the Home Secretary confirmed in reply to my question that the new dedicated team to help these people, will be open to all Commonwealth citizens in similar situations.

“Yet if the Home Office is really to get to grips with this, we need legal clarification, extra resources and a change in the overall Home Office policy of creating a hostile environment - including to people who are actually British citizens. That is wrong and must change.

“And we need to hear loud, clear and often from all politicians, that we value the contribution of Britain’s diverse immigration communities to this country and we must always treat them with the equality, respect and gratitude they deserve.”

Caroline Pidgeon, London's Lib Dem member on the London Assembly, has launched a campaign for urgent action to tackle London's crime epidemic.

Caroline wrote "We are just 100 days into 2018 and already 55 people have been murdered in London. Stabbings in particular have seen an alarming rise. Yet sadly the rise in violent crime didn’t just start at the beginning of this year. Back in 2013 there were 47 fatal stabbings in the capital. It has been increasing since then.  Last year 86 people were killed by knives in London."

"There are no easy single solutions to tackling violent crime, however we should look at best practice around the country and adopt every policy that works. Of course many other policies are needed, for example it is vital that police numbers do not fall any further. Liberal Democrats rightly fought the last General Election with a specific pledge to increase funding for our police service."

Please sign this petition and help ensure that practical and effective policies are taken to curb the scourge of knife crime. 

http://www.londonlibdems.org.uk/knifecrime

Caroline Pidgeon AM, Liberal Democrat London Assembly Member, commenting on the Mayor’s decision to use income raised from business rates to support the Metropolitan Police said:

“Despite his claims this is not an unusual decision for the Mayor of London to make. In fact last year I called on the Mayor to do everything within his powers to put extra cash into the Met. At last he has listened.

Bus cuts across London are forcing people to wait longer to catch their bus.

Vince Cable MP has championed the argument for welcoming overseas students despite the fact they are counted as “immigrants” in the statistics.

Lib Dems councillors, council candidates and activists from across London recently met at City Hall to share ideas and put forward plans to tackle the problem of crimes involving moped riders.

Caroline Pidgeon, Liberal Democrat London Assembly Member and long time champion of more accessible public transport in London, commenting on today’s announcement that a further 13 Tube stations will be made step-free by Spring 2022 said:

“This is an incredibly welcome announcement.

“However let’s not lose sight of the bigger picture that even in four years time 60 per cent of London Underground stations will still be inaccessible for people with disabilities. Today’s announcement is just the start of making London truly accessible.

“Sadly London is still paying the price of Boris Johnson’s decision to cancel a number of step free schemes when he first became Mayor of London.

“Another important issue in London is the large number of train stations that remain inaccessible and the harm caused by the Department of Transport’s decision to push back many access improvements at stations such as Barnes, Battersea Park, Hither Green, Peckham Rye, Petts Wood,  Seven Sisters, St Mary Cray and Streatham.

“Today’s announcement also needs to be reinforced by a renewed commitment by TfL to ensure that all London Underground stations remain staffed from the first to last train and that Tube stations no longer stop operating their lifts due to an absence of trained staff.”

Caroline Pidgeon, Liberal Democrat London Assembly Member and the party’s London spokesperson, commenting on Sadiq Khan’s announcement that the Hopper bus fare will start to take unlimited trips within an hour from later this month said:

“Lib Dems have been campaigning for a 1-hour bus ticket for a decade. Londoners and visitors to the capital will this month start benefiting from a Lib Dem policy finally being delivered.

Caroline Pidgeon has called for urgent action on Tram safety to implement "every recommendation" in today's investigation report.