Andrew Dismore

Intervention by Andrew Dismore, Labour London Assembly member for Barnet and Camden, saves the day for Edgware Remembrance Sunday procession.

Mr Dismore said:

‘When I heard last weekend from our poppy appeal organiser that the police had said the traditional route for Edgware’s Remembrance Sunday parade could not go ahead, I was appalled and took up sorting it out. In fact it was not the police where the problem arose, they just had to pass on someone else’s ruling.

‘The problem was with Barnet Council. I raised the issue with London’s Transport Commissioner Mike Brown and the Head of TfL Surface Transport, Leon Daniels, both of whom were very sympathetic and agreed to help. Leon found out that Barnet had not applied for part of the Edgware parade route on a TfL road to be included in the necessary traffic order. I arranged a TfL fast track for this to be resolved, but it took Barnet a week to respond.

‘It was only after a call to the Council Chief Executive on Friday 6th, two days before the parade, that Barnet finally made the necessary application. TfL immediately replied, agreeing.

‘I cannot understand why it took Barnet so long to deal with such a simple issue, especially when TfL had pulled out all the stops at the highest level to fix it. I suppose we should not be surprised at anything that happens, or not, with Barnet council.

‘As President of Edgware Royal British Legion Branch, I am glad the issue was resolved and that our veterans, their families and supporters were able use our traditional route to march to the service at Edgware War Memorial today, and march back afterwards , following the same route we have used for decades.’