Baroness Jenny Jones claims for more taxis than all of her colleagues combined because she lives in a 'dodgy' area - Camberwell

 
Green agenda: London Assembly member Baroness Jones
David Churchill18 September 2014
WEST END FINAL

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A Green Party peer and London Assembly member who branded black cabs one of the capital’s “most polluting” vehicles today came under fire for claiming more taxi journeys than all her colleagues combined — including Mayor Boris Johnson.

A Standard analysis reveals Baroness Jenny Jones claimed for nearly three times the number of journeys Mr Johnson did and nearly six times that of the Assembly member with the third highest journeys claimed.

Today she said she used more taxis because she does “more work” and lives in a “fairly dodgy” area.

But one Assembly member said: “It does smack a bit of hypocrisy when you consider the way she goes on and berates Boris about doing more over the environment, when it appears as if she could have been doing more herself and cut down on her own number [of journeys].” Expenses figures for the past three financial years show Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb, who earns £54,000 as an Assembly member, claimed for 35 taxis at a cost of £518. The number shot up from four (£61) in 2011/12 to 20 (£311) last year.

Mr Johnson claimed for 12 journeys over the same period (£495.19), while the third highest was by Conservative member Victoria Borwick, who claimed for six trips (£81.50).

Baroness Jones often clashes with Mr Johnson over pollution levels and reducing overall traffic and carbon emissions. She has also called for more people to use public transport and a crackdown on “non-essential” journeys.

But among the reasons for taking taxis on her expenses forms were “to be on time” for a City of London dinner at Guildhall, a Radio 5 interview and because of “heavy luggage”. Two cabs were for just one mile each to and from Southall station because there was no “practical bus route”.

Several were from dinners or events back to her home in Camberwell because they finished “after 9pm” .

Baroness Jones claimed the figures are “historical” because she has not claimed for a cab yet this year.

She told the Standard: “The fact is if I claim more taxis that’s because I’m doing more work than the other Assembly members.

“I’ve changed my work somewhat and what I was doing wrong is, I was doing evening things and I live in a fairly dodgy area of town and I got taxis home, and if I claimed more taxis that’s because I was doing more work.”

Conservative Assembly member Andrew Boff said: “She goes around calling all sorts of people hypocrites. She should look in the mirror.”

An Assembly spokesman said all claims have been made within the rules.

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