0050 [0035] Hrs GMT
London
Thursday 06 May 2010.
Editor © Muhammad Haque.
Khoodeelaar! told the ‘leftwing’ ‘radical’ British magazine ‘New Statesman’ website that it was publishing emptiness about the Poplar and Limehouse constituency. The comment was at first carried on the web site. But moments later, they removed it. Why? because we told them what our campaign was about. That is, we said that the Khoodeelaar! campaign was against the Big Business agenda scam Crossrail. Here is what we told the New Statesman: “Your piece about the Poplar and Limehouse parliamentary constituency is empty of substance and stuffed full of hype. Why do you follow the blank media? Is that your definitive, distinctive contribution towards making the UK a fairer place? What about the really gritty serious issues that are doing so many individuals, families down daily in the deprived borough that contains Poplar and Limehouse? Where is the defining feature in your ‘revamped’ magazine? What is biting in any of your coverage? Muhammad Haque, Organiser, Khoodeelaar! No to Big Biz agenda Crossrail scam 2005 GMT London 05 May 2010”. The NEW STATESMAN is suppressing this comment as part of the agenda that the magazine is operating, that is, to tout for Big Business interests. It is not a truthful organ and it most certainly is not socialist. So what is it? As is the case with every single tout for Big Business agenda scam Crossrail, the New Statesmen is all over the place. It is crass. As compared with the crassness of the New Steersman, some publications, less known and less promoted but more in tune with the realities of the UK society and economy are able to admit that Crossrail was over-hyped, over-sold for years. One such outlet is the LOCAL GOVERNMENT related publisher localgovt.co.uk. They have published the following admission during Wednesday 05 May 2010:
Parties undecided over the benefits of Crossrail
Nick Appleyard
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The £16bn Crossrail project has been dragged into the general election campaign as the main parties are at odds with how it will play a part in economic recovery.
But local authorities in the capital appear to be behind the scheme described by transport secretary Lord Adonis as the ‘biggest addition to the transport network in London and the South East for 50 years’ and a ‘vital boost to the UK economy’.
Boris Johnson is a staunch supporter of Crossrail A spokeswoman for London Councils said: ‘We are broadly in support of the project and interested to see how it’s going to work in detail.’
The Conservatives appear divided with London mayor Boris Johnson a staunch supporter describing it as ‘truly incredible in vision and scale’ and ‘vital to London's future prosperity’. But he is at odds with party leader, David Cameron, and is constantly asking him to back the project.
Chancellor Alistair Darling this week held up Crossrail – the biggest rail project underway in Europe – as a key example of how the parties differ over economic recovery. He pointed to the 1980s and 1990s as decades of underinvestment in the capital’s transport network, which caused huge problems, and vowed to protect vital projects to keep people moving. Mr Darling also highlighted what he called the ‘danger posed by the Tories’ lack of judgement’ on the matter.
Mr Johnson this week demanded a public assurance from Mr Cameron that if elected he would pay for Crossrail. But the Tory leader has done no such thing and only last week, shadow local government minister, Justine Greening, said it was possible the party would scrap the project, despite work on stations such as Tottenham Court Road already being underway.
A spokesman for Crossrail said: ‘[We are] committed to delivering a world class affordable railway and to this end are continuing to carry out value management to find efficiencies, to monitor the assumptions made in establishing the £15.9bn cash cost and to manage, mitigate and as appropriate, retire risks on a project of this scale. These processes are not new and will continue.’
Despite transport spokesman Norman Baker having already pledged his party’s support to the project, the Liberal Democrats have now signalled they would now look into reducing taxpayer funding.
In a radio interview Lib Dem candidate Tony Hill said: ‘I hope that all infrastructure projects will be looked at very carefully and will go ahead – Crossrail is very important.’
Richard Bourn, the Campaign for Better Transport’s London campaigner, has called on all three parties to come clean on what transport projects they will fund.
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