Lynne Featherstone

I appeared on the Politics Show on BBC1 today. My daughter came with me to see it filmed at City Hall – only so that I could take her on to Tate Modern to see the ‘Weather’ exhibit.

The subjects for the show were ‘Super Boroughs’ and speed humps.

Mayor Livingstone has said that he would like to get rid of the London Boroughs and replace them with five Super Boroughs. There were three Assembly Members there to argue the toss. My comment was that we should be wary when the Mayor wants Super Boroughs and that we have to ask ourselves – super for who?

You can be sure if the Mayor wants them it is because he is not getting on with the 32 boroughs we have already got.

Moreover, experience has showed me that the more you pull power into a centralised system – and the further away that is from where services are delivered on the street – the worse those services get.

On road humps – this has come up because I have put an investigation on the agenda for the Transport Committee at the Assembly, which I chair. I have long been interested in their efficacy – and no work has really been done on this across London.

I have called for evidence from many organisations across London and from individuals with tales to tell.

My hope is that we will find ways of retaining the benefits of reduced speed while removing the drawbacks of noise, pollution and the 500 deaths per year the ambulance service say result from having to slow down because of humps. So watch this space.