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Leyton and Wanstead MP, John Cryer has tabled a Parliamentary Early Day Motion calling Boris Johnson and the Met to halt any plans to close Wanstead Police Station.

 John Cryer MP said:

 “The London Mayor is conducting a review of properties owned by the Met – with a view to sell many off. Wanstead Station is a target. I share my constituents fears as any closure would rob local people of their only police presence.

“Burglary is clearly a serious local issue and police teams are based at the station so any closure will increase the fear of crime. We want the London Mayor and the Met to leave our local police station alone.”

The EDM reads: 

That this House notes with deep concern the proposal to close Wanstead police station; further notes that this will diminish the police presence in Wanstead, which has a high rate of burglary, and therefore diminish the deterrent against crime; further notes that there has been a permanent police presence in Wanstead for more than 130 years and that a petition has attracted more than 1,600 names in only a few days; and calls on the mayor or London and the Metropolitan Police to halt any closure plan immediately.

For further information or to arrange interviews please contact Gulsharan Sall  0207 219 5128/07856451230 or email: gulsharan.sall {at} parliament(.)uk

What Are Early Day Motions?

An Early Day Motion (EDM), in the Westminster system, is a motion, expressed as a single sentence, tabled by Members of Parliament for debate “on an early day” (namely an unspecific date in the future).

Controversial EDMs won’t be signed by Government Ministers, PPS or the Speaker of the House of Commons. EDMs remain open for signature for the duration of the parliamentary session.

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Ken Livingstone today announced details of an emergency fares package to cut fares which he would introduce if elected in May 2012.

Ken promised to rip up Boris Johnson’s ‘high fare’ policy which has committed Londoners to 20 years of fare increases at 2% above inflation and replace it with a fairer fares package starting with an immediate overall fares cut:

* An overall cut in fares for Londoners of 5% in the autumn of 2012

* No further fare rises at all in 2013.

* From January 2014 and in subsequent years no fare rises above RPI inflation.

Ken Livingstone said, “Fares must be cut – on transport grounds to make the system more attractive, but also on economic grounds to put ordinary Londoners first by putting money back in the pockets that will boost the London economy. I’m drawing a line in the sand – Boris Johnson will hit you with a painful fare increase this coming January, but if I am elected by October the fares will be cut. There could be no clearer choice.”

More: http://www.kenlivingstone.com/fares

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“Earlier today I visited a number of businesses in Leyton in the aftermath of the rioting and looting we have seen over the weekend and after. So far, Leyton has not been as deeply affected as other parts of Waltham Forest although some premises have been attacked and a number of people have faced serious intimidation.
 
That is not acceptable and it seems that criminal elements have decided to hijack the genuine and serious concerns which are being raised over the death of Mark Duggan.
 
However, rocketing youth unemployment and the abolition of the Education Maintenance Allowance are just two factors which are disproportionately affecting this constituency – particularly in Leyton and Leytonstone. For instance, Leyton Sixth Form College has one of the highest number of students in receipt of the EMA in the entire country.
 
At the same time youth services are some of the first to be cut, while at the stroke of a pen the government cancelled seven school rebuilding programmes in Leyton and Leytonstone.
 
This situation is simply unsustainable. The government is taking an axe to services and jobs which in turn affect some of the poorest and most vulnerable in our society, but perhaps that is understandable when we have an executive that is dominated by the extremely wealthy who have lived privileged lives.
 
And incidentally, this is all before cuts in police numbers really start to bite.
 
After recent events, perhaps Nick Clegg could reconsider his facile remarks about “progressive cuts”.”