I wondered a couple of weeks ago whether Boris Johnson would be prepared to accept that consultations, such as that on the Western Congestion Charge Extension are not the same thing as a referendum, or that they are unable to provide a particularly accurate representation of public opinion, despite his pre-election rhetoric to the contrary.
Well we might have an answer – and it’s…sort of.
At last week’s Mayor’s Question Time, Liberal Democrat Transport spokesperson Caroline Pidgeon asked a written question on this issue:
In your Answer on the consultation process on the future of the Western extension of the Congestion Charging scheme [1227/2008 and others] you speak of “a wider representative survey” of opinion. Exactly what is planned for this survey? Which Londoners will you be listening to, and what weight will you give to residents within the Western extension as against those from outside that area?
Astoundingly, we did get some new information and a glimpse of realpolitik in Boris’ answer:
Since consultations can elicit views only from those with strong opinions, it is important to understand how representative these views are of the wider population. Therefore, TfL has commissioned a survey of 2,000 Londoners and 1,000 businesses alongside the public consultation. This is designed to complement and inform the outcome of the (more…)
