The article in last week’s Watford Observer (Met Extension: Light Rail) reported that Sadiq Khan ‘halted’ the plans, when in fact he has frequently reaffirmed his commitment to ring-fence the £49 million already made available for the scheme and remains committed to the project proceeding.

We are all familiar with the former mayor Boris Johnson’s tendency for self-promotion and disregard for cost when promoting his pet projects – the garden bridge, Boris Island, the bridge to France, anyone? The MLX unfortunately suffered from Boris’s inability to do the detail, and the Tory Government must surely now recognise that they have to be honest about the errors their former mayor made when he made this promise in 2015. Like all his other pet projects, he made the promise without considering the cost.

The article further states that Richard Harrington “offered £73 million” to make the project work, which as he knows is nowhere near close to amount estimated to cover the cost overruns. The lack of political will and ambition from Tory Transport Chris Grayling and Tory-run Hertfordshire County Council show a casual disregard for the people of Watford.

A Labour government will prioritise public investment and ensure Watford has a transport network that works for everyone.

Chris Ostrowski

Watford Labour parliamentary candidate