POPE COMES TO CITY HALL

12.01.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 6th Jun 2005

Geoff Pope who will join the Lib Dems at the London Assembly from today

Geoff Pope will today become the newest London Assembly Member for the Liberal Democrats after Lynne Featherstone MP stepped down to devote her time to her constituents in Hornsey and Wood Green.

Mr Pope will become the Vice Chairman of the influential London Assembly Transport Committee and will become Liberal Democrats London Assembly spokesman on Transport in the capital.

Mr Pope will join the London Assembly Health Committee and will also be spokesman on health issues in the capital for the Liberal Democrats at City Hall.

On Tuesday 7th June, Geoff Pope will deliver a keynote speech to the London Assembly Liberal Democrats where he will outline his key proposals and the key campaign themes he intends to pursue over the next three years.

Geoff Pope said:-

"I am delighted to take up the role of Liberal Democrats member at City Hall and continue the excellent work of my predecessor, Lynne Featherstone.

"While the Assembly has started to tackle improving the lives of Londoners, there are real challenges facing people in the capital that the Mayor has failed to deliver on.

"I will be devoting the next three years to holding the Mayor to account and putting forward innovative and exciting solutions to tackle our creaking transport system, reducing violent crime and improving our city's health."

ENDS

Notes to editor

Biography of Geoff Pope

Geoff Pope was born in Islington and now lives in Twickenham. Geoff is a management consultant in the Voluntary Sector where he works in service development across London. He has been employed at Kodak Research Division in Harrow and as a Development Manager at Glaxo SmithKline for many years.

Geoff was Mayor of Richmond upon Thames in 1989/90. He stood in the GLA 2000 and 2004 elections and gained over 30% of the vote in South West London. Geoff has run a number of campaigns, including major rail surveys at over 20 stations in South West London to identify passenger priorities, and a petition to improve the 267 bus service from Twickenham to West Middlesex Hospital.

In 1977, Geoff organised the first door-to-door paper recycling collections in Twickenham. In 1998, Geoff was Chair of Richmond Social Services, where he maintained the best day services for Older People in London.

Geoff holds a number of other posts, including - Chair of Addiction Support and Care Agency Kingston and Richmond and President of Twickenham Club for the Blind. He is also a Trustee of Richmond's Ethnic Minorities Advocacy Group. Geoff is a lifelong Charlton Athletic supporter.