LABOUR MP John McDonnell led a growing Westminster fightback yesterday against Tube ticket office cuts imposed by London’s “joke” Mayor Boris Johnson.

Activists from rail unions RMT and TSSA went to Parliament to embrace Mr McDonnell’s energetic campaigning as he launched a Westminster Hall debate.

He warned that the mayor’s 1,000 job cuts would put Londoners at serious risk.

“There will be no-one to turn to if there is an accident or an emergency or a terrorist attack,” said the Hayes and Harlington MP.

Pensioners, disabled people and women would be hit most by the cuts, he warned.

“We think this is a dangerous measure by Boris Johnson. And we fear that this is just the first wave of cuts.

“We cannot have a joke as a mayor any more.”

Mr McDonnell scathingly referred in the debate to Mr Johnson’s broken promise when he was standing for mayor to “halt all ticket office closures immediately.”

Islington North MP Jeremy Corbyn lambasted Mr Johnson for his six-year-long refusal to meet Tube unions.

“He has time to meet every banker in the City, he has time to travel to every city in the world, but not time apparently to meet the unions who represent the people who deliver services,” said the Labour MP.

RMT members will stage two 48-hour strikes on February 4 and 11 against job cuts and the closure of all 260 Tube ticket offices.

Fellow union TSSA is launching a strike ballot which could result in industrial action from February 3.

Hornchurch Tory Angela Watkinson shamelessly read from a Tube bosses’ briefing paper which claimed the cuts would lead to an improvement in service for passengers.

Left MP Ian Lavery bluntly told her to “get to grips with reality.” He demanded to know how closing 240 ticket offices and axing nearly 1,000 jobs would be an “improvement.”

Transport Minister Stephen Hammond argued that taking staff out of ticket offices would make them “more visible” and available to help customers.
“The ticket office is not the heart of the station. It is simply a room,” he proclaimed.

RMT regional organiser John Leach warned yesterday that the ticket office job cuts were “just the tip of the iceberg.”

They accounted for just 6 per cent of the planned £4.2 billion cuts, he said.

Hackney MP Diane Abbott and Ayrshire MP Katy Clark were among MPs who joined union activists as they gathered outside Parliament before the debate.

Ms Abbott accused the mayor of “slashing away at secure employment,” and bringing in privateers and insecure casual employment.

Ms Clark warned that if the unions lost the fightback in London, then rail services across Scotland, Wales and England would also come under renewed attack.

National Pensioners Convention leaders Ron Douglas, Norman Jemison and Barry Todman stood with a banner outside Parliament to show solidarity with the Tube workers.

RMT general secretary Bob Crow and TSSA general secretary Manuel Cortes will be joined by pensioners and campaigners for disabled people at a Stop the Tube Cuts public meeting in the Conway Hall, Red Lion Square tonight.