Putney need cross party consensus to beat tube closures

Yesterday I wrote about the planned closure of ticket offices at the three tube stations used by Putney commuters - Putney Bridge, Southfields and East Putney.

While it is inevitable that this will become the subject of much political discussion and debate in the run up to both the local and general elections, I hope that all the parties in Putney can agree that these proposed closures by Boris Johnson should be opposed as they are not in the interests of Putney's commuters and tube users.

When the national rail companies - including South West Trains - called for similar dramatic cuts in ticket office opening times at Putney, Barnes and Wandsworth Town, I stood up and lobbied the government to reject their plans. And the closures were dramatically reined-in.

At the time, Putney's Conservative MP said: "These plans will seriously inconvenience thousands of Londoners who use these stations every day. Worse still, the serious cuts in weekend and evening services raise real concerns over passenger safety."

We agreed then - and I want her to take a similar stand now it is her own party that is making the cuts - cuts that they promised London they would not make in the 2008 Mayoral elections.

So today I have written to her, and to the Liberal Democrat and Green candidates to invite them to join me in a cross-party effort to defend Putney's ticket offices.

If Putney's Conservative MP still agrees that ticket office closures will seriously inconvenience thousands of Londoners, then - while she won't find it easy - she should put Putney before party and stand with me against these cuts.