MP slams Boris over transport chaos
Mayor Boris Johnson has been the subject of a stinging attack from Poplar and Limehouse MP Jim Fitzpatrick for his handling of last week's snow-related transport problems in the capital.
In a letter to the London Mayor, Mr Fitzpatrick, who is the shadow minister for transport, attacked him for allowing London to 'grind to a halt for much of the week'.
Also referring to the Mayor's trip to Switzerland to help England's doomed bid for the 2018 World Cup, the Labour MP wrote: "I hope that you have returned safely from your trip to Zurich.
"You may not have noticed, but while you have been away for the last few days Londoners have had to suffer a week of misery.
"Now you are back, I trust you will agree that the truth is very different to the picture of contentment you portrayed in a media interview from abroad in which you said you were 'happy' and claimed there was 'more or less complete success on the roads'.
The MP also criticised the Mayor's failure to resolve the industrial dispute with Tube staff, which is set to roll on into next year.
He added: "The snow followed the latest strike but despite your predictions that we were 'well prepared' for a sudden cold snap, with the biggest stocks of road-salt ever, London ground to a halt for much of the week."
Mr Fitzpatrick asked the Mayor to respond to questions including: what action he personally took to get London moving and why no contact was made to Government - according to Transport Minister Phillip Hammond?
He was also accused of not urging London's boroughs to pool their resources.
As well as disruption on the Tube last week, Overground trains to the south and south-east of London, as well as some of Essex, were affected.
The Mayor has yet to respond.
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I enjoy slagging off Boris as much as the last man, but I genuinely did not have any problems getting into work or around during the snow at all. Admittedly this may have been because I did not even attempt to drive, but the buses, DLR and tube seemed fine.