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There is a difference between an aspiration and a commitment; there need be no loss of face for a politician in temporarily abandoning an aspiration.
The trouble is, Boris Johnson's intention to scrap the western zone of the congestion charge looked like a commitment and sounded like a commitment. So his decision to do a U-turn on abolishing the western zone next year will do him some political harm. For many people, scrapping the extension was a clear element of his election manifesto.
Having said which, the U-turn is right. It would be madness to forgo an important source of revenue for public transport at a time when Transport for London is struggling to square falling passenger revenue with diminished government financial support. And the congestion charge raises between £55 million and £70 million for TfL. If it comes to a choice between raising bus fares and scrapping the western zone of the C‑charge, it is no choice: public transport takes priority.
This paper has been antagonistic to the western extension of the charge from the outset because of its effect on business, especially in a recession. But, as we have argued in the past, there is a middle way. It would be possible to impose the C-charge in the western zone for peak travel times while scrapping it for the greater part of the day, allowing for deliveries and customer visits by car to businesses within the zone at quieter times.
This would, admittedly, raise rather less revenue. It would also be complicated to have a flexible western congestion area while keeping a blanket all-day charge in the central area. But a compromise, however muddled, would be preferable to penalising businesses for their location, which is what the charge does.
For the immediate future, the Mayor is right to do whatever he can to maintain revenue for public transport without raising fares. His reputation, however, as a politician who keeps his word will take time to recover.
Gordon Brown on the brink
The Prime Minister is left to brood that a prophet is often without honour in his own country as he is given the accolade of World Statesman of the Year by Henry Kissinger for his work in addressing the financial crisis. The award is unlikely to cut much ice at home.
Here, in an interview published in this paper today, a former Cabinet minister, Charles Clarke, expresses the hope that Gordon Brown will excuse himself from leading Labour into the election, citing ill-health. “I think his own dignity ought to look to that kind of solution,” he said.
Mr Brown is not, on previous form, the man to do anything of the sort. Yet this will not prevent the usual riot of speculation and conspiracy at the Labour conference next week. He may, and probably will, give the speech of his life to rally his troops but it is unlikely to dispel the mood of fatalism in the party that Mr Clarke identifies.
Yet the Prime Minister has indeed sought to show statesmanship in one important area: telling the UN Security Council he is prepared to cut Britain's Trident nuclear submarines from four to three, if other countries are prepared similarly to reduce their nuclear capability. The goal of reducing the global nuclear stockpile is a noble one and as it happens, this concession coincides with the more urgent need to reduce the public sector deficit.
But, being Mr Brown, he talks tough at the same time about Britain's nuclear deterrent being non‑negotiable. Whatever the inconsistencies in the Prime Minister's approach, he is doing the right thing in contributing to nuclear disarmament: it may not, however, be enough to bolster his standing with his own party.
Triumphal arch
It is cheering news that there are plans to rebuild the huge Victorian Doric arch in front of Euston station. Its destruction in 1962 was an act of cultural vandalism. We look forward to the return of a notable London landmark.
Reader views (1)
The suggestion about changing the times of the C-Charge will still involve spending large sums of money on changing signs throughout London it will also lead to mass confusion among drivers who wont know whether they need to pay or not. The present system is simple clear and easily understood which is how it should be.
The one development Boris could introduce would be to link the C-Charge to Oyster which could then allow people who have paid the charge special rates of fares on public transport on that day thus reducing use of cars for inter office trips. Do this and if successful more areas will want to join the charge to get these benefits!!!
- Melvyn Windebank, Canvey Island, Essex, 24/09/2009 19:11
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