In the wake of the Mayor of London's sudden u-turn on closure and sale of Uxbridge police station, Theresa Villiers, MP for Barnet, has contacted Mr Khan to demand the same reprieve for Barnet police station.
Responding to the Mayor's announcement that Uxbridge police station would not be sold as previously planned, Ms Villiers said "Mayor Khan's announcement looks like a cynical attempt to influence the outcome of the forthcoming by-election. If he has u-turned on selling off Uxbridge police station, then he should do the same for Barnet. It would be disgraceful if he refused to listen to Barnet residents who want to save their police station just as much as they do in Uxbridge. This Uxbridge decision must be a lifeline for Barnet police station."
Uxbridge and Barnet police stations were placed on a list of closures announced by Mr Khan in the early years of his mayoralty. Both have been the subject of energetic local campaigns to save these police stations.
Ms Villiers has written as follows to the Mayor this morning: "I understand that you have asked Sir Mark Rowley not to sell-off Uxbridge police station. In your recent response to my letter on Barnet police station and other matters, you said that it was the Met police and not you who makes decisions on the police station estate.
Clearly the by election in Uxbridge means that you have changed your view on this. Can I therefore ask that you intervene to save Barnet police station?
You say you have made your decision on Uxbridge after listening to local people. I can assure you that my constituents want to save their police station, just as much as people in Uxbridge want to save theirs. I therefore ask you to listen to them too.
The case for retaining Barnet police station is just as strong as it is for Uxbridge. It would be unfair and unreasonable to deny people in Barnet the support you have now given to Uxbridge."
