Brown Must Stand By His Legacy On London Underground - Pidgeon

5.10.00pm GMT Wed 7th Jan 2009

Caroline Pidgeon, the Liberal Democrat Transport spokeswoman on the London Assembly commenting on today's London Underground PPP Report for 2007/08 said:

"London Underground has an immense amount of ground to recover since taking over the failed Metronet contracts. We should take some comfort that from an appallingly low base it appears to be making good headway at lower cost. In many respects the PPP report gives us the first glimpse of public sector versus the private sector in maintaining and upgrading the Tube.

"However the central issue remains that Gordon Brown imposed the botched 30-year PPP deal on London. He has to fund any gap between what London Underground can afford for the next seven year period and what the Arbiter rules is fair for Tube Lines.

"Anything less from Gordon Brown threatens not only the future of the Tube, but the future of London as a world-class city and leading financial centre. In the current economic crisis, that would be madness.

"Proper funding remains the key to the future of the Tube and the future of London."