The celebratory scenes outside Peckham Rye station last week, as local MP Miatta Fahnbulleh called on the government to invest the £45 million needed to make the transport hub step-free, quickly turned sour.
Within days of Fahnbulleh’s public announcement, Andy Burnham’s new Energy Secretary had deleted all of her social media posts about the event, with our exclusive interview the only remaining proof it had happened at all.
Because no explanation was given by Fahnbulleh as to why her posts had been deleted, many users on X speculated it was due to the backlash against the sheer amount of money the MP was asking for.
Admittedly, £45 million is a lot – especially for a few lifts.
But, as we have covered extensively over the past few years, it seems to be an accurate figure for the scale of work involved.
As repeatedly argued by Peckham’s dedicated local campaigners, it is vital work that would transform the lives of so many who use, or currently cannot use, the station.
So, a backbench MP would be well within their rights to call on the Department for Transport to release the funds required.
But Fahnbulleh is no longer a backbench MP.
Instead, the more likely reason she deleted the posts, some suggested, was the small issue of collective responsibility. As part of the cabinet, it is effectively forbidden, at least by convention, to come out publicly and lobby another cabinet member.
Relatedarticles
Peckham residents, and all those up and down the UK now impacted by Fahnbulleh’s decisions, would surely have expected her to know that.
As someone who is venerated as the future of the Labour Party, we would also expect her to be working closely with the people she represents.
But one local campaigner, who has led the call for lifts at Peckham Rye for years, told us she found out about Fahnbulleh’s new campaign from the paper, not her own elected representative.
Whether that’s a case of active neglect or mere carelessness remains to be seen.
