Recycling Christmas cards already!

I haven't had time to sort out a super-dooper Christmas card for you, so I've nicked one from Barnet CPZ Action! I hope they won't mind.

Barnet's traders in particular will be grinding their teeth at the callous indifference shown to their plight by Barnet's Tory council this Christmas.

Foregoing the 'amnesty' on parking charges in the borough, which they have implemented in previous years, the Tories have ploughed ahead with raising parking charges and made sure that a council debate on parking, called for by the Labour group, will now take place in late January when most of the damage has already been done.

The Labour Party are collecting signatures for a petition which could lead to a further council debate... in March. That's a fair way off, but it would shine a very unwelcome light on the Tories' policy in time for the GLA elections in May when incumbent Brian Coleman, the mastermind (I use the term loosely) of the parking policy, is hoping against hope to be re-elected as the representative for Barnet and Camden.

The Labour Party petition, hosted on the council's own website, says:

We, the undersigned, request Barnet council to reverse the parking charge increases implemented in 2011 that are having such a damaging impact on our local town centres and residents at a time when they can least afford it. We need action now to help small businesses and relieve residents. We believe that reversing the parking charges will increase the number of shoppers in our town centres, giving struggling local businesses and traders a much needed boost and helping our hard-pressed residents in these difficult economic times.

Sign the petition here.

Put the jam in Boris's doughnut, or something like that, on 17 January

TalkLondon, London mayor Boris Johnson's occasional roadshow, comes to Barnet on Tuesday 17 January.

Join the Mayor, Boris Johnson, Isabel Dedring, the Deputy Mayor for Transport, and a panel of local representatives, for an opportunity to question them on investing in Outer London.

When and where: Talk London Barnet will take place at the Peel Centre in Hendon, NW9 5JE on Tuesday 17 January, 7pm - 8.30pm. Doors open at 6pm. [6pm! Bring a sandwich and a flask of coffee!]

The panel will include:

• Boris Johnson, Mayor of London
• Isabel Dedring, Deputy Mayor for Transport
• Cllr Cornelius, Leader of Barnet Council
• Gail Laser, Chair of Barnet Traders & Barnet Town Team

Follow us on Twitter @talklondon

It's irresistible, isn't it? But just try applying for a ticket online! I've tried twice on two computers now, and the Captcha thingy just isn't working for me!

It's worth noting that Brian Coleman, GLA member for Barnet and Camden, yes, the "local representative", seems to have been dropped from the panel - well, I swear he was on an earlier lineup that I saw. And that Barnet traders are now prominent. Some sort of compensation for the havoc wreaked on Barnet's local businesses by the council's increase in parking charges - a policy spearheaded by Coleman?

Keep trying for those tickets! All of you! Whatever you have to say to Boris, not forgetting Mr Indecisive, Dithering Dick, Richard Cornelius, Leader of Barnet Council. And maybe, after all, Brian will be putting in a special mystery guest appearance; why wouldn't he? This is his patch and how could he resist the chance to shine in front of all his potential electors! This will be the hottest ticket in town this January, I'm sure of it!

TalkLondon website here.

GLA: Tories scupper another ticket office debate

I mentioned yesterday that the Tory members on the GLA had scuppered a previous debate about the proposed job cuts on London Underground, by walking out to make the meeting inquorate. Well, they've done it again! This morning the Assembly was due to discuss the issues posed by the mayor's plan to cut 800 jobs, and the Tories walked out again.

Brilliant. Very mature handling of the dispute that nearly brought London to a halt yesterday.

I also mentioned a protest by disabled rights groups. They believe that fewer staff on stations will make it harder for disabled people to use the Tube. There's a picture of their protest on Tory Troll's blog. (It features a friend of mine!) I wanted to get down there this morning and take some pics, but I was, frankly, too knackered. Politics is fun, but it wears even me out sometimes. (Imagine how Barnet Tories are feeling, then!)

Disabled transport users lobby tomorrow against Tube job cuts

I told you that service users should support the Tube workers' fight against job losses! I've just received an email from some disability rights activists, planning to protest at City Hall tomorrow, when the GLA is due (again) to discuss the planned 800 job cuts on London Underground.

Tomorrow – that is Wednesday 8th September at 9am, join us and other Disability right activists outside City Hall to show our opposition to these dangerous cuts and meet Assembly Members as they attend a GLA Assembly meeting to discuss them.

We will be calling on Boris Johnson and London Assembly Members to oppose the cuts to station staff and support a tube network which is safe and accessible for everyone, disabled and non-disabled.

· Wear red, if you can

· We will provide banners and placards, though feel free to create and bring your own

· Come angry!

Directions: Meet in front of City Hall, The Queens Walk, London SE1 2AA

Map link: http://bit.ly/bNU3eJ

Nearest station: London Bridge (step-free) or Tower Hill.

Buses RV1 (low floor, wheelchair accessible), 47 and 381 stop nearby. More detailed directions available at http://www.sense.org.uk/media_centre/latest_news/may_2009/directions_city_hall.htm

For a better service, support the Tube strikes!

Now that my official title is "trade unionist Vicky [sic] Morris" I thought I would say a few words about why I think people should support the London Underground strikes, and in defence of trade unions generally.

Trade unions have been the bedrock of the movement for democracy in this country. One of the first campaigns for universal (male!) suffrage was the working-class Chartist movement. One of their key aims was to organise a general strike for democracy!

Trade unions have fought for every measure that has civilised work - the 10 hour day, abolition of child labour, health and safety regulations - and been resisted most of the way by their employers. When middle-class reformers have pushed for welfare provision, it has usually been as a means to head off more radical solutions to social problems: working class revolt.

Today trade unionists on the London Underground are on strike to defend 800 jobs. In many ways this is a selfish strike - they want to keep their jobs. These are not cushy jobs, in spite of what the Metro will tell you. But they are decent jobs, and the alternative is to go onto the job market in a climate of high employment.

But in many ways this is also an unselfish strike: London Underground with fewer staff will be a worse service. Ticket offices will be closed more often; there will be fewer staff around to help you buy a ticket, give you directions, or intervene if there is trouble on a station.

What other means do Tube workers have to fight their cause than to withdraw their labour? The best thing passengers can do to defend the service is support the Tube workers' strike, and get the London Underground management and GLA to stop their job cuts proposal. Lobby your MP and GLA member (maybe not Brian Coleman, alas, as your words really would be falling on deaf ears, or Richard Barnbrook, for all the obvious reasons).

The Tory group on the GLA walked out rather than hear a motion against the job losses proposal in July. This issue will be revisited soon. Even Boris Johnson has said he worries that the government's deficit reduction plan is trying to cut too much too fast.

The London challenge: spot Brian Coleman using public transport

Kicking and screaming, Brian Coleman, mayor of Barnet and London Assembly member for Barnet and Camden, has 'voluntarily' published his AM expenses. You can view them here. The total is £3,605.72 for 3 March 2008 to 28 February 2009.

It is worth noting that Coleman also claims expenses in his role as Chair of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA). Those he does not have to declare, but Adam Bienkov learned from a Freedom of Information request that Coleman claimed almost £2,000 from the LFEPA for 'travel' between April-December 2008, including that outrageous £396 for his travel to and from a Lord Mayor's banquet in November (most of that was waiting time).

Among his GLA expenses is £1,784 for a travelcard. Given that he claims royally from both the GLA and the LFEPA for taxi fares, it raises the question of what he wants that travelcard for. I can only imagine that he has it on the offchance that a cab breaks down one day forcing him to use the Tube (I can't see him on a bus, can you?). It would save him the trouble of queuing with the common horde for a ticket.

I am issuing a challenge to Londoners: between us can we snap a picture of Brian Coleman using public transport? If no one can, then he shouldn't be entitled to a travelcard as part of his expenses (even if it is taxable).