THE INSOMNIAC CITY: A VIEW FROM THE GLA LIB DEM CANDIDATE FOR WEST CENTRAL

The Dame loves to hear from candidates, of all persuasions, keen to use her little blog to promote their ideas. 
She was thus most pleased when the charming Annabel Mullin invited the Dame for Tea and Fancies. 
The Dame was very impressed by Annabel who uses her career experience to warn of the potential dangers of an inadequately policed all night tube service....
The Dame will be publishing another piece by Annabel next week, but she does wish Labour and Conservative candidates would bend her bejewelled  ear.....

The ‘New’ City that Never Sleeps…

"Anyone who has ever done shift work will tell you this city has never really slept, apart from when it comes to our tube network. 

I’m an ex-police officer, who used to spend a lot of time in Soho and Mayfair at some fabulous hours...with some fascinating stories. 

I always loved around 5am, when London became peaceful before the street cleaners and after the revelers.

Now at last though we are catching up and we will have a 24-hour tube – or at least some parts will be. But as the Evening Standard pointed out earlier last month, not only does that come with pluses but also quite a few negatives. 

The police are calling them “red stations”, such as Victoria and Hammersmith, which are going to be susceptible to increased crime particularly sexual crimes and anti-social behaviour.

Two previous mayors have failed to protect people using public transport – particularly late at night. 

How can we not be concerned about what effect the night tube will have?

3,000 new police officers is just one costed plan amongst many the Lib Dems will introduce, if successful in the upcoming GLA elections. 

These will help to protect travellers, defend the potential red hot spots and make us feel safer. 

Additional visible police will certainly go some way to helping our city remain great at night and we can at last be a city that challenges New York in never sleeping."