Letters: Parking charges are 'madness'

And there are many current visitors to the West Ends theatres, clubs, restaurants and bars who, in January, will vote with their feet and chose other parts of London to spend their hard-earned money.

In all my years on Westminster City Council, I have never seen such a massive wave of opposition like this.

Not even the 15p cemeteries and the disgraceful 'Homes for Votes' scandals attracted such a broad coalition of anger from across the political spectrum.

Westminster Council has done what no other council has done before.

It has united Boris and Ken.

It has brought together the West End churches and the casinos.

Big business and the trade unions speak with the same voice.

Well-heeled West End residents share the same concerns as the low-paid workers who commute in from the suburbs.

It is difficult to find anyone who supports the new parking charges.

So far, Westminster Council has refused to budge one inch.

Despite Boris Johnson's protestations, he does not have the power to stop Westminster.

And although Government Ministers have joined the chorus of disapproval, none of them have taken action to stop Westminster's folly.

What is needed is for the Prime Minister to step in and bring Westminster back in to line. The West End is the 'jewel in the crown' of UK plc.

Westminster's local parish politics cannot be allowed to threaten West End businesses and the jobs of thousands of people living in London and the South East.

So, I am writing to David Cameron to ask him to stop this madness.

Please add your weight, too, if you want to save the West End economy and jobs.

Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg
Leader of the Labour Group
Westminster City Council