Dear John

Today, Londoners should have been going to the polls to elect the next Mayor of London. Instead, we are all staying home to save lives and the London elections have been postponed until next year.    

As we start, cautiously, to consider lockdown easing, it’s crucial that the safety of passengers and all our keyworkers is not compromised.  Lockdown has been tough but I know many people are also anxious about moving to the next phase.

In the past week, I’ve written to the current Mayor with suggestions for TfL safety measures and I’ve joined cross-party demands for transport workers to have effective PPE when more people start using the transport network again.  

The postponement of the election has also given me a chance to reflect on my campaign.  While it’s impossible to know what the political landscape will look like in May 2021, it’s clear that no sector will emerge untouched from this global crisis.  And that includes politics. In my article in the Independent today I reflect on what campaigning might look like in a post-Covid19 context.    

Building a better future for my daughters and other young people was the reason I entered politics in the first place.  It remains a key motivation for me to run again next year.  Politicians often talk about young people, but they rarely talk with them. I want to put that right.

Young people are being hit particularly hard by this pandemic, both psychologically and financially. Whether it’s disruption to their education, the prospect of deep recession and more economic insecurity or the sheer mental strain of yet another future-defining crisis to contend with, it is crucial for all our sakes that young people are at the forefront of decisions on a sustainable recovery strategy.  

We owe it to every victim of Covid-19 to learn the lessons from this crisis and to build a fairer, greener and kinder future for everyone. Together, we can create exactly that. 

Kind regards

Siobhan Benita

Lib Dem Candidate for Mayor of London

p.s. I also spoke to Vanessa Feltz on BBC Radio London this morning, you can listen here.

LATEST NEWS

Siobhan Benita: Today would have been polling day for the new London mayor. I’m still running – but politics has to change (The Independent)

Siobhan Benita: Sadiq Khan 'should impose these safety measures on London Underground' (MyLondon)

Siobhan Benita and MPs demand urgent PPE for transport workers following 26 coronavirus deaths (Politics Home)

Listen: Siobhan Benita speaks to Vanessa Feltz about supporting young people (BBC Radio London)

Layla Moran: Coronavirus is taking its toll on the nation’s mental health – it’s time politics took our wellbeing seriously (The Independent)

Siobhan Benita: This time next year, London will be different.  We must be too. (Lib Dem Voice)

CORONA KINDNESS 

New Banksy artwork appears on NHS hospital corridor to pay tribute to healthcare heroes (Evening Standard

Student creates transparent masks for the deaf and hard of hearing community (Design Boom)

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