When the government unveiled its Spending Review last week, hopes were high that Putney would finally get the attention it deserves. From the long-neglected Hammersmith Bridge to the High Street, SEND provision, housing, funding for the Met, and much more, residents were watching closely — and many expected their own MP, Fleur Anderson, to speak up.
But when the Commons met to debate the review, it wasn’t Putney’s MP who stood up to raise these issues — it was Richmond’s.
“I even dared to dream that Hammersmith Bridge might one day be fixed…”
Speaking during the Spending Review debate in Parliament on Wednesday, Sarah Olney, the Liberal Democrat MP for Richmond Park, was the only voice from South West London to raise local infrastructure concerns. Her short but pointed intervention managed to cover two of the most disruptive issues affecting Putney: Hammersmith Bridge and the Heathrow flight path.
“London Members were hoping to hear more about infrastructure investment in the capital today,” she said.
“We are looking for spending on the Bakerloo line extension, and spending to deal with the Croydon bottleneck. I even dared to dream that Hammersmith Bridge might one day be fixed, but all we have heard from the Chancellor is her reiterated support for the expansion of Heathrow airport.”
Olney went on to condemn the government’s stance on Heathrow, adding:
“As she will know, Heathrow expansion is opposed by every political party in the capital, and by the Mayor of London. It is not welcome. The negligible economic benefits of expanding Heathrow do not compensate for the massive environmental and noise impact that expansion will have on many people in the capital, particularly my constituents. May I ask the Chancellor to look again at her support for Heathrow, and consider the greater merits of many other infrastructure projects across London?”
The Chancellor’s Dismissive Response
Chancellor Rachel Reeves was quick to dismiss Olney’s plea, taking aim at the Liberal Democrats for opposing planning reforms and accusing her of being more interested in blocking progress than building.
“The hon. Lady started that question wanting to be a builder, and ended it by being a blocker,” said Reeves.
“That is not surprising, given that the Liberal Democrats voted against the Planning and Infrastructure Bill yesterday… We have provided an integrated settlement for the Mayor of London and a multi-year settlement for Transport for London. We have also supported expansion at City airport, and we have an in-principle commitment to expansion, and a second runway, at Gatwick.”
There was no mention of Hammersmith Bridge, no clarification on Heathrow flight paths, and no reassurance for residents affected by noise pollution or traffic congestion.
We read the documents. Now we’ve read the debate.
At Putney.news, we’ve already reviewed the 200+ pages of spending documents — and the verdict was a lukewarm 4/10 for Putney, with no clear wins for our area.
We turned to the Commons debate in case any of our local representatives had fought our corner from the floor of Parliament.
But what we found was silence. Of the 123 speeches given in the day; 45 from the government side and 78 from the opposition parties:
- Fleur Anderson MP (Putney) did not speak.
- Paul Kohler (Wimbledon), Rosena Allin-Khan (Tooting), and Marsha de Cordova (Battersea) were also absent from the debate.
- The only MP from South West London who raised local issues was Sarah Olney.
Why It Matters
While Olney’s remarks were framed around Richmond, her points resonate loudly in Putney:
- Hammersmith Bridge continues to push traffic through Putney High Street and Putney Bridge, causing congestion, pollution, and daily frustration for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.
- The Heathrow flightpath currently arcs directly over Putney on many days — a burden that would only grow heavier with airport expansion.
- Meanwhile, Putney High Street is struggling, SEND schools are closing, and council finances are stretched to the limit.
And yet, when the biggest financial plan of the year was announced, our MPs stayed silent.
Who Speaks for Putney and Wandsworth?
With Labour now running the country, the London Assembly, City Hall and Wandsworth Council, the 2025 Spending Review was seen as the best opportunity in a generation to get real investment into our area.
Instead, we got vague promises, no bridge funding, and a renewed push for airport expansion — all met with worrying quiet from those elected to represent us.
Putney deserves better. And it deserves to be heard.
