Ex public transport lead for the Labour Greater London Council (GLC), Dave Wetzel, has announced on Facebook that he has joined the Green Party.
Wetzel said:
Wetzel alongside Ken Livingstone introduced the Fares Fair policy of low
transport charges which contributed to Labour's 1981 GLC election victory.
The popular policy went all the way to the Law Lords and was eventually over-ruled leading to a massive increase in fares.
Following the introduction of the new fares structure and the travel card car usage in London dropped by 10%, tube travel went up by 44% and bus by 14%.
In retrospect many saw the policy as ahead of its time and it certainly puts the current high fares into perspective. LINK
A battle with the Tory government led eventually to the abolition of the GLC and the Inner London Education Authority.
Dave Wetzel is the President of the Labour Land Campaign and CEO of the consultancy Transforming Communites.
It will be interesting to see how his thinking influences the Green Party.
Wetzel said:
As a new Green Party Member I consider all Government cuts are unnecessary and left the Labour Party this year because the Labour Front Bench intend to continue with cuts. This is totally unnecessary as instead we could adopt the Green policy and introduce an annual Land Value Tax so that rich landowners like the Duke of Westminster repay the land wealth we all create.
Wetzel alongside Ken Livingstone introduced the Fares Fair policy of low transport charges which contributed to Labour's 1981 GLC election victory.
The popular policy went all the way to the Law Lords and was eventually over-ruled leading to a massive increase in fares.
Following the introduction of the new fares structure and the travel card car usage in London dropped by 10%, tube travel went up by 44% and bus by 14%.
In retrospect many saw the policy as ahead of its time and it certainly puts the current high fares into perspective. LINK
A battle with the Tory government led eventually to the abolition of the GLC and the Inner London Education Authority.
Dave Wetzel is the President of the Labour Land Campaign and CEO of the consultancy Transforming Communites.
It will be interesting to see how his thinking influences the Green Party.
Bravo, Dave! Not a member of any political party myself but wholeheartedly support land-value tax. All best.
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