Emma Best

IF you think I was parping on unfairly about the London Assembly in this week’s diary, then let Harrington direct you to a recent exchange between Sadiq Khan, in belligerent mood, and Emma Best, one of the Conservative members in the chamber.

A classic of the genre, Ms Best was asking the mayor about the obviously ludicrous decision to demand the removal of a poster advertising a theatre show because it included an image of a wedding cake.

The promotion for Tony N’ Tina’s Wedding, according to some bright sparks at Transport for London, had fallen foul of policies which forbid the promotion of unhealthy foods on the tube.

Now you don’t have to be a partisan for any political party, to see this was a bizarre call and simply needed a bit of common sense – but, as is the nature of things in the Assembly, Mr Khan refused to give an inch when defending TfL’s verdict at a Mayor’s Question Time session.

The offending cake

He insisted the production team hadn’t run all the right checks with TfL compliance officers before spending money on its promotions.

Ms Best, certainly one of the more awake assembly members in the current cohort, sarcastically suggested: “I’ve been on the tube often feeling peckish, I’ve never felt like I would devour a wedding cake. I’ve never seen an advert and thought: ‘Actually, I think I’ll stop off and buy myself a wedding cake’.”

Mr Khan replied: “TfL’s policy has been well known for some years now”, adding that the Tories were at least getting more publicity for the rules with their questions.

“The evidence is also clear that the policy works in relation to reducing the number of children pressurising their parents to buy foods that are high in fats,” he added.

Good, that’s welcome, but surely this one was a glitch in the system which could be fessed up to.

Ms Best told the mayor: “Yes, my children often ask me to stop off and buy me a wedding cake. It is difficult.”

Welcome, my dear friends, to life in the London Assembly.