I’m pleased to report that our campaign to save the 45 bus route between Clapham Park and Elephant & Castle has been successful. This will come as a massive relief to everyone who relies on the service. Losing this route to Tory cuts would have made it harder for our community to access affordable, sustainable transport. Thank you to everyone who campaigned for this alongside me to protect local bus routes and prevent these cuts.

Ahead of this decision, I wrote to the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, reiterating my call to protect the route. The Tories’ failure to cover TfL’s lost Covid revenues has left London’s bus network facing major cuts. As a constituency without a tube station, I know cuts presented a real worry for many residents. All the evidence shows that losing bus services disproportionately impacts people on low incomes, people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds, disabled people and pregnant women.

At a time when we should be encouraging more people onto public transport. The Tories’ refusal to agree a fair funding deal for TfL after Covid decimated its finances, leaving our city facing the loss of 4 per cent of our bus network. Contrast this settlement with the no strings bailouts dished out to failing privatised rail franchises. Talk about rewarding failure.