Borrowman calls for Norris to quit

12.00.00am GMT Thu 27th Nov 2003

Duncan Borrowman, the Bexley and Bromley Liberal Democrat London Assembly Candidate has said Steve Norris should step down immediately as the Conservative London mayoral candidate after accepting the chairmanship of Jarvis, the company at the centre of the Potters Bar rail crash which killed seven people.

Duncan Borrowman said "Many local commuters across Bexley and Bromley boroughs are concerned about rail safety following the string of rail and tube crashes in recent years - many involving problems with track maintenance.

"Mr Norris has long been a director of Jarvis, but his decision to take over as chairman of the engineering group proves he must be pessimistic about his chances of being elected for Mayor. How else can he explain why he has accepted a position that poses such a conflict of interests for a Mayoral candidate?

"Now that Jarvis is one of the companies involved in tube maintenance, what will he do if there is a major tube crash which involves Jarvis? Mr Norris can't have his cake and eat it - he must quit as mayoral candidate or quit Jarvis without delay."

Duncan Borrowman's News Shopper letter on Steve Norris and Jarvis http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/views/letterstoeditor/display.var.442608.0.chairman_or_mayor_choice_is_yours.php