Grab-a-cab Coleman under fire

Exclusive by JOHN HIGGINSON - Wednesday, April 9, 2008

MP Brian Coleman

'Grab-a-cab Coleman' – the deputy chairman of the London Assembly – ran up a £4,147 taxi bill to 'carry his bling around'.

Brian Coleman, who has resurrected the tradition of wearing civic chains of office, notched up a taxi bill equal to all 25 members of the London Assembly, including Ken Livingstone.

In one day, he submitted a claim for £660 – which included £90 worth of cancelled fares in the nine months to February.

And in December, a £412.50 fare was run up on a round-trip from his home in Barnet, north London, to a nearby London Jewish Forum meeting where the driver kept the meter running before taking him to City Hall.

When Metro contacted the Conservative car enthusiast he dismissed claims that he even used taxis.

He said as he had never booked any of the cars himself he thought he was being ferried about in an 'official' GLA car.

'Because I've been chairman and deputy chairman I'm entitled to an official car when attending official functions in the morning dress and wearing the diamonds round my neck,' he said.

The only trouble is the civic chains have no diamonds.

The London Assembly said all the claims were within guidelines.

However, Labour assembly member Murad Qureshi said: 'The truth is there is no official car.

He justifies getting taxis everywhere because he wears his bling around. There's no reason for him even to be wearing it.'

Green party assembly member Jenny Jones called him shameless and said he should 'leave the bling behind'.

His most prolific taxi bill was for the 12 months to July 2007 when he spent £10,000 compared with an average of £845 for GLA members.

That coincided with Mr Coleman's six-month driving ban for speeding.

It's interesting to see politicians wrigle their way out of tight spots