A social media spat has followed a Greenwich Councillor’s proposal to introduce a 20mph speed limit across the borough.
A Labour manifesto, published in May 2026 after the party retained the Labour council, included plans for an £8 million investment to resurface roads – but failed to include the proposal for a 20mph speed limit, according to the Conservative opposition.
Deputy Leader of the Greenwich Conservatives councillor Charlie Davis said on X: “Clearly it was wrong for them not to include it and residents are entitled to ask why such a significant borough-wide policy wasn’t put before them at the election.”
Speaking to the Londoners, Cllr Davis added: “Labour knows this policy is deeply controversial, particularly in the south and east of the borough. Given the fine margins in many wards across the borough at the last election, I think this was a deliberate decision to keep quiet about it in order to help hang onto the council.”
The Labour Cabinet Member for Transport, Climate Change, Waste and Streets Calum O’Byrne Mulligan denied that any deliberate deception was involved.
He said: “If our manifesto were to include every existing Council policy, particularly those that have been in place for many years, it would be a rather lengthy document that would not be particularly helpful to residents.”
Mulligan highlighted a series of online and in-person meetings where the speed limit was proposed, including one in July 2025 which Davis attended.
On X, Davis argued against adopting a one-size-fits-all approach to transport regulations and says a 20mph speed limit ‘makes sense on some residential roads and doesn’t on others’.
Councillor Mulligan said: “If the announced consultation on 20mph has come as a surprise to Cllr Davis, it can only be because he has not been paying attention to what has been Council policy for the past four years.”
Responding to the claim, Councillor Davis said: “Labour can go on about this being mentioned in council papers which most residents don’t read, but failing to include it in their manifesto was clearly an intentional attempt to avoid the issue.”
Whilst 20mph speed restriction zones are common in centrally located boroughs, these restrictions are expanding to outer London regions. Safety and environmental concerns are the main reasons for this initiative.
According to Transport for London data, more than three-quarters of serious injuries or deaths on Greenwich roads in the last ten years were on roads of more than 20mph.
Featured Image Credit: Charlotte Ambrose
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