• PRIVATE Eye magazine last month reported a shocking reveal, from a Freedom of Information request, of scandalous chauffeur expenses claimed by Labour mayor of Camden.

It was reported that the Labour authority spent £17,286 over a four-month period, on chauffeur costs so the mayor could travel in style.

On one occasion Cllr Nasim Ali racked up a cost of £500 for a visit to the Royal Albert Hall. The previous mayor, Sabrina Francis, spent £255 on a chauffeur journey to see The Mousetrap.

The roles of mayor and deputy mayor are simply additional, politically-created, roles, ceremonial only, and the candidates are chosen by the ruling party, Camden Labour, behind closed doors.

The mayor alone receives payment of £17,355. It is shameful that this obscene spending is authorised by Camden, especially when we are in the midst of a cost of living crisis.

There are over 1,000 Camden families depend on food banks, we are seeing an increase in rough sleepers on many of our streets, and all this outrageous expense happens at a time when the CNJ organised a memorial service for a well-known rough sleeper, Lidia, who passed away on a street in Kentish Town.

Yet no mention was made on this spend in the recent council meeting from any councillor, no condemnation from the Lib Dems, Conservatives, or Greens.

All this really begs the question, do the residents of the borough really need ribbon-cutting mayors and deputy mayors to attend so many theatre and drinks events?

In these extremely difficult times would not these disgraceful costs be better spent on public services on the most vulnerable people in the borough.

JILL HENRY, NW6