Boris skips question on Shepherd's Bush Market

...and nearly provokes a riot.

Boris held his last "People's Question Time" this evening at Hammersmith Town Hall and it was a lively affair. Notable for interventions by the Occupy London Movement and others protesting the so-called "Super Sewer" project in Fulham, Boris also faced questions on a range of issues from cyclist deaths through to the environment and the noise generated by buses.

A wide range indeed.

I congratulated the Mayor on having over-ruled the Council on the detested King Street scheme which drew raucous applause from the crowd of around a thousand, but then followed by asking the Mayor whether he was likely to apply the same standards and rule out the equally unpopular Shepherd's Bush market scheme.

Answer there came none.

Not being thin skinned I put this down to him being a politician - but Aniza Meghani, of one of the Goldhawk Road shops set to be demolished was in less mood to be ignored. And this being a blog you can watch the exchange for yourself, which is moderated by Boris' deputy - the Conservative Assembly Member Kit Malthouse.

You can see they are both desperate to move on and talk about something else instead. One to remember when making up your mind come election day, perhaps.



March 20th UPDATE – Well Boris Johnson’s PR people have been busy preparing their own censored version of People’s Question Time in Hammersmith, and wouldn’t you know it – the Shepherd’s Bush Market question, which came up repeatedly and throughout the evening has been airbrushed out!

That, coupled with the fact that the Fulham Chronicle didn’t even turn up, all rather suits our Council which shouldn’t come as any surprise.

What, perhaps, should also come as no surprise is that Boris is filmed apparently putting the boot into the Thames Tunnel scheme. The great man is pictured nodding sagely, with concern etched across his brow, as a gentleman from Carnworth Road in Fulham says their community is about to be ruined.

What’s this – a development imposed from the outside against residents wishes?! That is the norm in the north of the Borough but down in Fulham, where all of the ruling councillors live, they just won’t stand for it.

Boris is outraged and says he is “very concerned” at the scheme’s impact on local people and worries that it might “whack up bills” for Londoners. He’s onto it, he reassures residents.

What a difference a postcode makes in Hammersmith & Fulham.