Inconvenient Facts

Transport for London (TfL) suppressed taxpayer-funded research that showed low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) do not reduce car use, it has been reported. TfL, which is under Mayor of London Sadiq Khan's control, chose not to publish a University of Westminster study after it found the controversial traffic relocation schemes helped to increase cycling but failed to encourage people to drive less or walk more, according to the Times.

Who's surprised? Not me!

Emails between Transport for London and the university show that officials were concerned about the report’s results coming out, the newspaper reported. The correspondence discussed how they might present the findings in the most positive light before a decision was made not to publish, the Times said.

An official is said to have reminded others in one email that “all of this stuff is FoI-able” (available under freedom of information laws) before reassuring them that no one outside TfL yet knew about the study.

And now everyone knows about it and also know that TfL are liars by omission and nothing they claim can be trusted! 

Who Still Believes The Media Isn’t In The Business Of Cynical Manipulation?

If that’s you, then just consider the fact that, when a judge finally allowed teen murder suspect Axel Radakubana to be named in an attempt to prevent…

'allowing others who are up to mischief to continue to spread misinformation in a vacuum and runs the risk that when the information becomes publicly available in six days' time, that will provide an additional excuse for a fresh round of public disorder. 'Allowing full reporting will undoubtedly remove some of the misreporting as to the identity of the defendant.'

…then look how they chose to do it. 

The reference to ‘six days time’ is because that’s when he turns 18 and is no longer ‘a child’. Yet instead of releasing his police mugshot, they released his school pictures, from when he was a child around the same age as the children he’s accused of slaughtering. 

And look what’s used to illustrate the Stephen Lawrence story - could it be that famous photo of him cropped to not reveal that he’s giving the ‘black power’ salute in it? Why yes, yes it is.

If you think you loathe and despise the mass media, you really don’t loathe and despise them enough, Reader.