Chairman or mayor — choice is yours (From News Shopper)

Chairman or mayor — choice is yours

11:04am Tuesday 16th December 2003 in Letters

Steve Norris should step down immediately as the Conservative London mayoral candidate after accepting the chairmanship of Jarvis, the company at the centre of the Potters Bar rail crash which killed seven people.

Many commuters across Bexley and Bromley are concerned about rail safety following the string of rail and tube crashes in recent years, many involving problems with track maintenance.

Mr Norris has long been a director of Jarvis but his decision to take over as chairman of the group proves he must be pessimistic about his chances of being elected as Mayor.

How else can he explain why he has accepted a position which poses such a conflict of interests for a mayoral candidate?

Now Jarvis is one of the companies involved in tube maintenance, what will he do if there is a major tube crash which involves the firm?

Mr Norris cannot have his cake and eat it. He must quit as mayoral candidate or quit Jarvis without delay.

Duncan Borrowman Liberal Democrat London Assembly member Bexley and Bromley