Silence from London Mayor on Southwark Meeting as TfL Consultation Extended

The London Mayor has not responded to official Southwark Council requests for his attendance at a scrutiny meeting, the Liberal Democrats revealed on Wednesday.

Southwark Council on Thursday invited Sadiq Khan, Labour London Mayor, to attend an Overview and Scrutiny Committee (OSC) meeting in July.

The authority sent the invite following a Southwark Liberal Democrat request, but had not heard back by the time they published an agenda for the meeting on Tuesday evening.

Southwark Liberal Democrats intend to use OSC, the primary council body for scrutiny, to grill the Mayor on proposed bus cuts.

TfL is proposing bus cuts that would result in the withdrawal of 16 routes, of which four run through Southwark.

The transport body announced on Tuesday that it was extending its consultation on the cuts, which was a key ask from the Southwark Liberal Democrats in a letter to the Mayor.

This letter demanded the Mayor also stop bus cuts, scrap the Silvertown Tunnel, hold public meetings, and invest into existing and alternative transport like the Bakerloo line.

Commenting, Cllr Victor Chamberlain, Southwark Liberal Democrat Group Leader said:

“These cuts are threatening to doom Southwark and South London to transport hell in a climate and cost-of-living emergency. The Labour Mayor of London is too scared to face scrutiny on this subject, but he knows it will hurt the poorest and most vulnerable first and hardest. It only goes to further show that his Labour colleagues in Southwark town hall are failing to bend his ear regarding our residents’ needs. Sadiq Khan does not listen to Southwark.”