Boris Johnson scraps half price travel for those on income support

[ymu]

It looks to me that it's exactly the same in terms of Johnson's words.

This Tory policy of attacking the poorest is no surprise, but it should make people like KBJ get their head out of their arse.

Not that I disbelieve it - it sounds like something he'd do, or will do - but has he actually announced this?

From Jaed's link:

Boris Johnson will not renew an oil deal with Venezuela which provides cheap fuel for London's buses once the agreement ends later this year.

The mayor of London said half-price bus and tram fares for 250,000 Londoners on income support, which were also funded by the deal, would still be honoured.

It's not explicit that half price fares will continue after the oil deal is over, but this implies that they will, at least in the short-term.

EDIT: Nah, it seems the BBC report is misleading. From one of the sources your original quote tracks back to:

A statement issued by City Hall this morning says Mayor Johnson has decided not to renew the current deal when it concludes this August. According to the statement Transport for London will continue to accept applications until August and recognise the discount beyond this date for a maximum period of six months.

“We will continue to offer the half-priced travel concession to Londoners on Income Support for the duration for which the deal was originally planned, and will continue to improve the capital’s transport system and ensure that it is accessible and able to meet the needs of all those who rely on it.”

http://www.mayorwatch.co.uk/Johnson...Income-Support-Claimants-article_id-1652.html

Arse!

 

[Fruitloop]

BBC in scumbag shock.

 

[Jografer]

Not really: the stupidity is in pretending that polices which one opposed under the Tories are different when they come from Labour.

It's not as if the observation that the two are remarkable similar is confined to the margins of political comment.

My point is that they are not the same, & will sadly prove to be different when we get Cameron & his lot in no: 10....

 

[jæd]

#
EDIT: Nah, it seems the BBC report is misleading. From one of the sources your original quote tracks back to:

You've posted up the same quote as I did in post # 25... The problem is that the original quote has (a) no source and (b) has, since its a just quote plucked from no-where, very little context.

 

[Guineveretoo]

Boris currently has three jobs, since he hasn't yet resigned as MP for Henley, has he?

 

[cockneyrebel]

But you don't have a link to the quote in your original post...

So what? It's in the BBC article! Boris is cutting the half price fares, and the latest link shows that.

It appears to be Labour Policy as well. Removing the 10p tax rate recently negatively affected people with incomes < £ 15,000 pa.

Who said otherwise? But Livingstone, with all his faults, would not have done this. KBJ said Boris would be a good change, it seems otherwise.

Boris currently has three jobs, since he hasn't yet resigned as MP for Henley, has he?

Yeap.

 

[ymu]

You've posted up the same quote as I did in post # 25... The problem is that the original quote has (a) no source and (b) has, since its a just quote plucked from no-where, very little context.

The article CR quotes from in the OP has been reproduced in a number of places. I gave one source in my post, but if that's not good enough for you it's easy enough to google for more.

The context to that quote in the other sources is clearer - the BBC does not make it explicit or obvious that the half price fares will end once the oil deal is over. The primary source appears to be a press release.

 

[jæd]

So what? It's in the BBC article! Boris is cutting the half price fares, and the latest link shows that.

Because your original quote has no context for the quote. The BBC article has at least some justification from Boris Johnson...

Who said otherwise? But Livingstone, with all his faults, would not have done this. KBJ said Boris would be a good change, it seems otherwise.

Apart from the cheap shot at KBJ, why mention him...?

 

[Donna Ferentes]

My point is that they are not the same, & will sadly prove to be different when we get Cameron & his lot in no: 10....

Quite likely Cameron will prove to be even worse: but the present government have tried their hardest to make that a difficult task. They and their supporters have no-one to blame but themselves.

 

[cockneyrebel]

Apart from the cheap shot at KBJ, why mention him...?

It's hardly a cheap shot. For months KBJ has been going on about Boris being a good change from Livingstone. And when people pointed out that he would be even more draconian he said he'd give him a chance. And surprise, surprise one of the first things he has done is attack the poorest sections of society.

As for Boris's justifications I'm not that bothered anymore than I'd be interested in listening to the CBI justify why workers shouldn't get more rights.

 

[Donna Ferentes]

Yeah, but why turn the discussion into "let's have a go at another poster"?

 

[jæd]

It's hardly a cheap shot. For months KBJ has been going on about Boris being a good change from Livingstone. And when people pointed out that he would be even more draconian he said he'd give him a chance. And surprise, surprise one of the first things he has done is attack the poorest sections of society.

Then point it out in a post to KBJ...

 

[cockneyrebel]

Fair enough Donna and jaed, in some ways you are right. But the point is that KBJ was an extremely vocal supporter of BJ on these boards. I really couldn't understand why and I guess it slightly did my head in the way he was such an ardent supporter of such a scum bag given his trade union/political background. And it does seem funny that he has nothing to say about this issue given what he said before.

 

[weltweit]

Actually and on second thoughts, I don't think Boris should keep his column.

Being the Mayor for such a city as London should be a full time job.

 

[jæd]

Fair enough Donna and jaed, in some ways you are right. But the point is that KBJ was an extremely vocal supporter of BJ on these boards. I really couldn't understand why and I guess it slightly did my head in the way he was such an ardent supporter of such a scum bag given his trade union/political background. And it does seem funny that he has nothing to say about this issue given what he said before.

Why not send a PM to him, then...?

 

[cockneyrebel]

Dunno. Maybe because he was so open about his support and so openly scathing of people who suggested voting Livingstone.

 

[pdxm]

And why exactly should they get half price travel? What next, half price at Tesco?

 

[Donna Ferentes]

 

[Haller]

Boris currently has three jobs, since he hasn't yet resigned as MP for Henley, has he?

Being both mayor and an MP doesn't seem unreasonable - it's no more than a cabinet minister, let alone a prime minister, does.

And I can't believe he takes more than an hour or so to write one of those columns. Why anyone thinks the pieces are worth that much money is a mystery.

 

[The39thStep]

misleading thread title imo

 

[frogwoman]

But I thought we were living under a Tory government, aren't we?

We are, but under the actual Tories it would be even worse.

 

[Urbanblues]

We are, but under the actual Tories it would be even worse.

That's true; but, at least we’ll be able identify the enemy; he won’t pass himself off as ‘one of your own’ while fucking you front and back.

 

[scifisam]

misleading thread title imo

In what way? He has scrapped half-price travel for people on income support (from August). That's a fact.

There has been a thread on this, btw (this is not a criticism of anyone on this thread), and KBJ did post on it.

 

[scifisam]

That's true; but, at least we’ll be able identify the enemy; he won’t pass himself off as ‘one of your own’ while fucking you front and back.

While Labour have had some 'Tory' policies or actions, such as the scrapping of the 10p tax rate and the involvement in the Iraq war, they have also done lots of things that the Tories probably wouldn't have done. They've been more like stabbing you in the front while applying healing salves in the back (almost an exact description of working tax credit, actually), which you're far more likely to survive than multiple stabbings.

*ignoring the 'fucking' word there, because, er, ew! Boris and Ken, or Cameron and Brown, noooo!*

 

[KeyboardJockey]

I shall comment on Boris later on. I think there are better ways of helping those on benefits access essential subsidised travel than KL's original scheme. More later.

 

[Jean-Luc]

That's true; but, at least we’ll be able identify the enemy; he won’t pass himself off as ‘one of your own’ while fucking you front and back.

Agreed, the difference between Labour (pink Tories) and the actual Tories is largely only a question of packaging and style. In the end what any government can do is severely limited by the economic situation. But the present Labour government has adopted illiberal policies even in the areas where governments do have some leeway. They want to introduce ID cards for everyone; they want an Army Day to encourage militarism; they've encouraged a hunt for illegal immigrants; they want to increase the penalties for cannabis; they want to introduce workfare, etc, etc, etc. The Tories might even have introduced something like tax credits since these are a wage subsidy to employers. And, if we're going down the road of trying to work out which is the lesser evil, then the only chance of stopping ID cards is to elect a Tory government or maybe a Lib-Lab or a Tory-Lib coalition.
Anyway, in the end they're both as bad as each other.

 

[The39thStep]

Agreed, the difference between Labour (pink Tories) and the actual Tories is largely only a question of packaging and style. In the end what any government can do is severely limited by the economic situation. But the present Labour government has adopted illiberal policies even in the areas where governments do have some leeway. They want to introduce ID cards for everyone; they want an Army Day to encourage militarism; they've encouraged a hunt for illegal immigrants; they want to increase the penalties for cannabis; they want to introduce workfare, etc, etc, etc. The Tories might even have introduced something like tax credits since these are a wage subsidy to employers. And, if we're going down the road of trying to work out which is the lesser evil, then the only chance of stopping ID cards is to elect a Tory government or maybe a Lib-Lab or a Tory-Lib coalition.
Anyway, in the end they're both as bad as each other.

Amazing that the issue of being liberal or illiberal is considered to be the cutting point between left and right . Used to be how the working class benefited.On the other hand perhaps it is symptomatic of where the 'left' has ended up.

 

[Jean-Luc]

Amazing that the issue of being liberal or illiberal is considered to be the cutting point between left and right . Used to be how the working class benefited.On the other hand perhaps it is symptomatic of where the 'left' has ended up.

Not sure that this is true historically but, anyway, what has the present government done to benefit the working class?

 

[Fruitloop]

The difference between Labour and the Conservatives is on non-economic, social issues, as could be seen with the recent votes on saviour siblings, abortion law etc etc. So in this limited sense they will always be preferable to the reactionary-to-the-bone Tories.

 

[Jean-Luc]

The difference between Labour and the Conservatives is on non-economic, social issues, as could be seen with the recent votes on saviour siblings, abortion law etc etc. So in this limited sense they will always be preferable to the reactionary-to-the-bone Tories.

It's not as simple as that. The Labour Party has traditionally been supported by Catholics and even Catholic Labour Cabinet Ministers take their orders from the Cardinals on these issues, as the recent votes showed. And there are plenty of liberal Tories. In fact, I'd say that the Catholic Church has more chance of pushing itsreactionary, anti-human agenda through the Labour Party than through the Tories.