A letter from the Rt Hon Keith Hill

Just a very quick post, today I got a reply from Keith Hill MP for Streatham.  I'm sure he won't mind me quoting his letter here:

Dear Mr Martin,

Thank you for your email in support of a tube link to Streatham.

I have long been a supporter of extending the tube to Streatham and have previously led campaigns - both in opposition and in government - to try and make it become a reality.  As minister for transport in London, I was forever pressing London Underground on the question, but there were always other priorities, not lease making up for the massive maintenance backlog on the tube Labour inherited from the Conservatives.

As you know the current campaign - centred on extending the Bakerloo line southwards from Elephant and Castle - has been launched by my good friend Chuka Umunna, who has been selected as Labour's parliamentary candidate for Streatham at the next election.  I will be retiring as the local MP having been in the role since 1992.

Naturally, I am at hand should Chuka require my assistance, but I believe it is important that I give my successor that I give my successor the space to make this issue his own - and of course he has already made a good start in persuading Transport for London to look at the Streatham option.  I would therefore suggest that the best person to offer your services to is Chuka.  I understand that you are meeting up with him this week.

I will certainly bear your concerns in mind as the debate develops.

Yours Sincerely,

Rt Hon Keith Hill MP


As you'll see shortly on this site shortly, I did have the chance to meet with Chuka today.

Further, I feel Mr Hill does himself somewhat of an injustice in this letter - he leaves the impression that he's currently being hands off with this issue and leaving it to Chuka.  I had the chance to meet him recently (on an unrelated personal matter) and, whatever your thoughts for or against his political views, he did give the impression of a man who cares deeply about his constituents.  Further, he did go out of his way to make sure Chuka was appropriately briefed before our meeting this morning.

My point here is, please don't hesitate to keep the pressure for this issue on Keith, Chuka & Chris Nicholson, all of whom are listening, and all of whom are likely to push all the harder if the members of their constituency keep at them.