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The mayor of London has told the Conservative party conference that today's Tube strike is "nakedly and blatantly political".
Boris Johnson said he regrets the inconvenience "caused to the three million people who use the London Underground network every day and the first and most important thing to say is that I deeply regret the inconvenience you are suffering as a result of this strike".
He attacked union leaders and said "it cannot be right that a ballot can lead to strike action when less than half the union members take part" and urged them to negotiate with Transport for :London.
Johnson told conference that the captial is "the motor of the UK economy and that is exactly the point that I make to the Treasury".
He said City Hall has already undertaken a £5 billion programme of savings.
"We have cut the colour photocopying, we have cut the business cards, we have even cut the sandwiches from the TFL board lunches, but I cannot and will not recommend that this country should embark on a programme of cuts to London's basic transport infrastructure – the buses, the railways, the Tube.
"That would damage the ability of this country to compete internationally and to generate jobs for decades to come."
He added:
"London’s transport budgets not just because they produce jobs across the UK but because a London where people can move cheaply and easily across the biggest and greatest city in Europe is indispensable for the success of the whole UK economy.
"It is not just that London exports £20 billion in tax to the rest of the UK London is responsible for a third of the UK exports of services.
"There would be no insurance industry in Norwich if it was not for London.
"There would be no financial services industry in Edinburgh, and great international law and accountancy firms would have no offices in Birmingham if they did not have offices in London.
"And that is why I will stick up for the city of which I am mayor and that is why I believe it is good for the whole of the UK that we are tackling Labour waste axing pointless schemes, and investing the money in making London an ever more attractive place to live in and to invest."
Johnson also said new transport investment could lead to London first cable car, "which we have decided to name in honour of the sage of Twickenham, Vince Cable, and in which I hope he will come with me one day so that we can look out at the City and Canary Wharf and brood on their importance to the UK economy".
Article Comments
Boris Johnson and those who support his call should come clean about their real intentions.
The call to prevent action being taken unless 50% of those eligible to vote do so is merely a staging post towards their real intention of wishing to withdraw the right from workers to strike.
Chris Keates, NASUWT
4th Oct 2010 at 2:18 pm
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