Friday, April 11, 2008

‘Give me a Cab Coleman’

The London “Metro” has a really good piece about the Tory deputy leader of the GLA, Brian Coleman, and “Cab-gate”. The Metro states that Brian notched up cab bills for himself equal in cost to that of the entire other 25 London assembly members including Ken.

He paid £1,000’s in cab fares when he had in fact free travel on the London transport system. In one day he made a claim of nearly £700! The Metro claim he spent over £10,000 compared to an average £845 for other assembly members.

He now claims that he has to have a taxi because as “deputy leader”, he has to wear his "Civic chain of office". Others claim that he does not have to openly wear his “bling” on route and can put it in a case while on the bus! Coleman seems to think also that there are diamonds in his chain. The London Assembly state that they are not precious stones.

Labour assembly member Murad Qureshi (UNISON member) is quoted: ' He justifies getting taxis everywhere because he wears his bling around. There's no reason for him even to be wearing it.' Green party assembly member Jenny Jones called him shameless and said he should 'leave the bling behind'.

Of course one of the most interesting things about Coleman’s Taxi bill is that it largely occurred after he got a ban for 6 months from driving following speeding offices.

So we now have to pay for his criminal behaviour?

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

What about your own Deputy leader of the labour party - Shagger Prescott - his behaviour was more high profile, more extreme...or the speaker of the House, Michael Martin? In the scheme of things there is no comparison..

John Gray said...

So his behaviour it ok then? You are happy voting for him then?

Anonymous said...

I don't bother to vote anymore, it just legitimises the whole circus...like the vast majority of the population I find it is irrelevent.

Baldy said...

Mr Toad has GOT to go!

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=24061317432
http://www.myspace.com/mr_toad_has_got_to_go

Anonymous said...

Can you tell me the last time Labour's Mayor in Tower Hamlets (I think that in Newham it may be different as the Mayor is directly elected), went around on a bus or the DLR with his chain in his case or pocket? Mind you if my memory serves me right, did not the Lib Dems scrap the Mayor's car, which Labour re-instated.

John Gray said...

Hi Anon 1
On the contrary – I think (for what’s its worth) that if you don’t vote (or at least turn up and spoil your ballot paper) you are actually content (maybe not happy) with the democratic process and are ok about any of the competing candidates being elected. Even our Ken!

If you can’t be bothered to even go out and vote – well, that is your democratic right but please stop moaning and whining about things.

John Gray said...

Hi anon 2
“Can you tell me the last time Labour's Mayor in Tower Hamlets...”
I think the big difference is that Coleman is not the London Assembly Mayor (Ken is and I have always seen him turn up to events by bus or tube!). Coleman is not a ceremonial official like the Mayor of Tower Hamlets or Newham (the Civic Ambassador in this case not the elected mayor). We also have a City of London mayor who likes dressing up and going to functions (fair enough).

I have a problem with a grubby, rich uncaring Tory politician, who tries to stop vulnerable working class people such as GLA cleaners and cooks, being paid a London Living wage of only £7.20ph. While he thinks he is so important that he justify spending 3 times as much in one day as these GLA cleaners would earn in a week on taxi fares.

Nuf said?