Leader of House blamed protracted closure on 'socialist Mayor & council'
Fleur Anderson MP quizzes Jacob Rees-Mogg in the House of Commons
Fleur Anderson, the MP for Putney has reacted angrily to what she described as a soundbite response from Jacob Rees-Mogg to her question in the House of Commons about Hammersmith Bridge.
She was raising the issue of the lack of progress from the government on funding the full reopening of Hammersmith Bridge. In response the Leader of the House attributed the failure to agree a plan to a ‘socialist Mayor & Council’.
Fleur Anderson’s question to Jacob Rees Mogg was, “I have asked the Leader of the House this question before, but I will ask it again. Hammersmith Bridge is still closed to vehicles, which is pouring between 500 and 4,000 extra vehicles a day into Putney, increasing congestion and air pollution.
"The £141 million bill to restore that historic suspension bridge is unaffordable for Hammersmith and Fulham Council and unaffordable for Transport for London; only the Government can now fund it. Will the Leader of the House make Government time available to debate the ownership and funding of all London’s bridges, so that we can get the capital city moving again?”
Jacob Rees-Mogg, Leader of the House, replied, “The hon. Lady is right to campaign for this, but wrong to focus on the Government. The Conservative candidate, Shaun Bailey, had a proposal for dealing with it really quickly and getting on with things, had he been elected. Unfortunately, a socialist Mayor and a socialist council cannot run a whelk stall, let alone keep bridges open.”
The exchange took place this Thursday (22 July) shortly after it was announced that the bridge would reopen for cyclists and pedestrians.
Fleur Anderson believes that congestion in Putney is unlikely to be significantly eased by there partial opening. She says that there are an additional 500 to 4,000 extra vehicles going through Putney every day since the closure of the bridge and that Putney High Street is one of the most polluted streets in the country and air quality is a huge issue for local residents.
Ms Anderson, “Hammersmith Bridge has been closed to vehicles for more than two years now and there is still no end in sight.
“The closure of the bridge has brought an additional 500 to 4000 cars through Putney each day and my constituents are breathing increasingly toxic air as a result.
“I am sick of this Government playing party political games with an issue that is affecting so many people’s lives.
“What Jacob Rees-Mogg said to the people of London today is that the Government do not care about your problems because you had the cheek to not vote Conservative.
“And that they value a good soundbite about socialism or a humorous comment about whelks more than they care about the air you breathe or the difficulty you have in getting to work or getting your children to school.
"I don't want more bluster or jibes - we're not in a debating society. This is real life and I want a solution to this problem now."
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July 23, 2021
