Direct telephone: 020 7983 4031 Fax: 020 7983 4418 Email: andrew.dismore@london.gov.uk

LONDONASSEMBLYLABOUR

Andrew Dismore AM

Dear Mayor Johnson, Re Emirates Cable Car contract: Discrimination against nationalities Constituents have brought to my attention the Emirates Cable Car contract, which has recently been published as a consequence of a Freedom of Information request. Within the contract, the interpretation clause explicitly prohibits a role for “conflicting persons” – that being companies or nationals of countries with no diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates: in other words, Israel. After announcing your future trade mission to Israel last week, you told the Jewish News “We think there’s lots of synergy between Israel and London, particularly in the tech sector, “Israel is an incredible illustration of what a country can do without any natural resources to speak of. Just energy, dynamism, creativity, entrepreneurial spirit – that’s what we need in London. We need to create something like Israel’s culture of innovation. That’s what I want to go and talk about.” However, this clause in the sponsorship contract, when applied to clauses 16 and 6, means that TfL, through DLRL, is now prohibited from involving any Israeli company or business based in Israel, or any Israeli national, in the operation of the cable car. When you opened the cable car in 2012 you told the Metro “It’s beautiful, worth every penny and a stunning piece of engineering”. Did you know this when you made this comment? Engineering and the High Tech industries are precisely the kind of industries that you are trying to attract to London, but the cable car, which is owned by TfL and DLRL, will be unable to make use of such innovative expertise as you may wish to attract whilst in Israel, due to this contract.

Our Ref: AD13/16/07/31 Date: 16 July 2013

Boris Johnson Mayor of London City Hall The Queens Walk London SE1 2BR

City Hall Queen’s Walk London SE1 2AA Switchboard: 020 7983 4000 Minicom: 020 7983 4458 Web: www.london.gov.uk

Direct telephone: 020 7983 4031 Fax: 020 7983 4418 Email: andrew.dismore@london.gov.uk

Moreover, this clause contravenes Section 3(1) of the Race Relations Act, which defines ‘racial grounds’ as ‘colour, race, nationality or ethnic or national origins’. It is also in breach of the Equality Act 2010 section 9(1). Please therefore answer the following questions as a matter of urgency:

1. What legal advice did you ask for or receive on the terms of the contract, generally and in relation to these specific terms?

2. Did you read the contract before it was signed?

3. Were you aware of this restriction when you approved the contract?

4. If not why not?

5. Do you agree that this discriminatory deal is going to undermine your trade mission to Israel next year?

6. Will you now renegotiate the contract to remove these discriminatory clauses form the contract?

7. If not, why not? Yours sincerely,

Andrew Dismore Assembly Member for Barnet and Camden